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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27117209">The Incest God: Game of Thrones Edition</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Forcy/pseuds/Forcy'>Forcy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A Song of Ice and Fire &amp; Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Along with more characters and ships as the story avances, And Children of the Forest, And use Grammarly, But far from my first fanfic, But he has mixed feelings about it, But if you don't like incest content in stories, But it will be mostly self explanatory, But relatively fast updates, Eventual Dance of Dragons 2.0 with unexpected results for the parties involved, Extensive use of gifs and images to enhance the story, F/F, F/M, First time posting a story on ao3, Gods, I hope you enjoy it, I suggest you don't read because it won't be the story for you, Incest, Jon Snow becomes a god, Jon and co take their time rallying their forces against the Boltons, Multi, Of which three story arcs are already finished and 5 are outlined to varying degrees, Plenty of gif and images, Plotline divided into Story Arcs, Plus Ice Dragons, References to the Omniverse, Rewrite from Season 6 Episode 4 onwards, Secret Societies, Shameless Smut, Short Chapters, Skagos will be imporant to the plot in unexpected ways, Slow Burn Journey for some of the Pairings, So he decides to use his powers with more subtlety, The very nature of Jon's new powers require him to get close to his sisters/cousins to be effective, There will be Giants, There will be some characters and elements from the Game of Thrones Telltale game, Timeline mostly based on the show, Which causes drama, With some book elements, but also a lot of plot, but i will try my best, english not my first language</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-08 20:27:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>79</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>140,486</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27117209</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Forcy/pseuds/Forcy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Story originally posted on Chyoa but I was recommended to post it here too. </p><p>During his resurrection, Jon Snow is given reality-warping powers by a bored deity from the vast Omniverse but with a catch: the wishes only work if they involve at least one of his relatives in some way. How will this change his relationships with Sansa and Arya? How will this affect his relationship with Daenerys after he realizes they are related too? And how will his sudden ascension to limited godhood change the outcome of the wars to come? Read to find out!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bellegere Otherys (courtesan)/Arya Stark, Jon Snow/Arya Stark, Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow/Sansa Stark, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Sarella Sand/Jon Snow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2946</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>754</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Story Arc One: Unexpected Ascension</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello everyone. I first posted this story in Chyoa . com months ago but one of my readers recommended I shared it over here as well so I decided to give it ago. </p><p>Now, the story is still not done over there but while the chapters are relatively short, I usually update fast and I have 40 chapters already added there, with plenty more on the way. For now, the plan is to start posting about 4-5 chapters a day for a while to test the reception until I catch up with all I have finished in Chyoa and then update new chapters on both sites the day they are done. Until then, however, I could be persuaded to post additional chapters faster if I get enough comments, which I hope will be the case.</p><p>So, in case it wasn't clear by the title, this story will feature quite a bit of incestual content so, you have been warned. And speaking off, there will be a LOT of images and gifs that I will use in the story to enhance the experience. And yes, there will be graphic images among them. So, if you have a problem with that, then this story is probably not for you. </p><p>For those that are curious enough to start after checking out the tags though, welcome. I hope you enjoy the ride. And finally, for those that may read this tale of mine on both websites, know that I will be editing a few chapters in the Ao3 version to minimize the references to the interactive system that Chyoa . com uses for their own erotic stories, which pretty much allow people to make fanfictions of other people fanfictions with their format of starting alternate paths to the story after the developments of a certain chapter. That's not how things work here, however, so if you notice some differences, that's why. </p><p>I hope you have fun reading. Now, let's get this show on the road, shall we?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Why hello there." Jon Snow heard as he opened his eyes, disoriented. On moment, he was being betrayed and stabbed by his own brothers and then he woke up...he had no idea where.  He looked around and suddenly found himself floating in the air, marveling at the sight of an utterly humongous tree, that reached a sky alien to him, with the outline of countless stars and planets as far as the eye could see.</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"Now then," The same unseen voice said, "I'm sure you probably confused at the moment. Or think you are dreaming. Or that this is the afterlife. And in a way, I suppose you are in an afterlife. I mean, you did get stabbed to death after all. Don't get too comfortable though."</p><p>"Who am I, I hear you wondering?" The voice said before Jon could ask the question. "Well, I suppose you can just call me...God. One of them anyway. You see, many people believe that there has only ever been one God. Thing is, that's only true in some realities and parallel universes. But in an Omniverse so large as to be unmeasurable there are bound to be other dimensions with multiple god-like entities due to simple statistical probabilities."</p><p>"So, why am I telling you all this? You see, I started getting a little bored with my next to omnipotent might. There is not much I can't do with it after all and eternity is quite long. So, I decided to entertain myself by granting more limited reality-warping powers to someone at random across the omniverse and see what happens. So, I traveled to this gigantic tree that I am sure has caught your attention. To keep it brief, it is located at one of the pillars of creation, and as a result, gods like me can use its roots and branches to travel anywhere in the cosmos or to bring forth someone or something from any reality. And that lucky someone happened to be you before you could finish dying. You're welcome!"</p><p>"Now, before you interrupt me, let me explain what I meant by "limited" reality-warping powers. Long story short, from now on you have absolute control over every member in your family tree, past, present, and future. And by absolute, I mean boundless, to the point you can reshape reality and even their respective pasts when your powers specifically involve them. All you have to do is think or say what you want them to do or be and intentionally will it to happen. Again, you're welcome!" The deity said in an amused tone when Jon's expression became a mask of shock.</p><p>"However, and this is important, your new abilities won't work on you or anything else if it doesn't also involve a relative of yours. For example, if you wish yourself to be twice as strong as before, that wouldn't work but if, for example, you wished to get physically stronger every time you drank the cum from the orgasming pussy of one of your sisters, cousins, or aunts, then that would do the trick. As a result, these limits will force you to get more creative with your wordplay to get your desired results, especially when it comes to wishes on a grander scale."</p><p>"Now," The invisible god went on, "as I said, you will have to specify most of the changes you want to make, but there will still be a more passive side effect befitting of your new status as the Incest God: while it won't be noticeable at first, your cum will now have the capacity to extend the lifespan of both yourself and any relative you have sex with, ranging from weeks to months depending on the amount, to a full year every time you get a relative pregnant. It won't be full-scale immortality, however. For that you will need to perform an active wish but depending on how insatiable you are with a given family member, it could easily turn out to be a nice bonus. Once more, you're welcome!" The strange deity proclaimed as Jon's jaw almost dropped to the ground below and the young man could have sworn he was smirking at him from somewhere.</p><p>"What? Don't look at me like that! Blood and sex have always been magical elements, at least for those that knew how to harness it. So, when you share sexual energy with one who also shares your blood, your life energy gains strength from this usually forbidden combination now that I am giving you that instinctive ability. Why exactly, I am giving you that bonus, you ask in your mind? Because I said so, that's why!" The higher god proclaimed.</p><p>"Oh, here is another important thing," the formless voice added, "While I have just described the main requirements to make your powers work, there are actually quite a few rules I added to the inner workings of your abilities that take precedent in grey areas but I am not telling them to you right now because I am impatient to see how you start and learning from your mistakes is half the fun. You could always experiment with your abilities in more unclear situations to get an idea but a faster way to learn would be the just have sex with one of your relatives. The more you do, the faster these rules will spring to mind and then you can plan ahead with more anticipation.</p><p>'Just don't assume you know them all once you stop getting random knowledge on your head!" The god warned. "I may end up adding some additional rules, later on, to keep the experience more interesting or balance out your abilities in case I forgot something important in my rush. But don't worry, the development of new rules won't cancel older wishes that are still active if they happen to be violations. That said, it will give you an incentive to keep a relative around to fuck. As I told you myself, eternity is quite long."</p><p>"Finally, just to keep things interesting, I will add a block to your powers when it comes to a certain use of them at random. The only way to unblock it will be to have a lot of sex over a long time period, along with something...extra, that you will find out in time. But! Just to make sure you don't succumb to favoritism too easily, you can't just focus your attention on a single relative for that to work. You will need at least...let's say 5. Yeah, that sounds like a good, arbitrary number. Gotta spread the love, you know?"</p><p>"That's about it then. I will send you back to your home universe now. Have fun with your new powers and entertain me while you are at it!"</p><p>Before Jon could respond, the otherworldly area vanished from his eyes and he lost track of time.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope found this intriguing. Can't say I have found a similar plotline myself anywhere else. Regardless, there will be more chapters posted throughout the day. And as I said, more comments = more chapters posted faster. The more detailed the better. So, have you know what to do if you are curious for more XD</p><p>And for the readers that liked it, trust me, there will be a lot to come in the next few dozens of chapters. And the dozens of chapters after that :D As I said, I have plenty of story arcs planned on my outlines.</p><p>Thanks for reading everyone. Until next time.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Reunion of the Wolves</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for all the reviews so far. As promised, here is the second chapter of the day. And just so you are clear, this chapter starts at the beginning of episode 6x04: Book of the Stranger.</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>The Next Morning</em>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Jon Snow continued packing supplies on his satchel, determined to leave the Night's Watch after last night's events. Behind him, he could sense Edd touching Longclaw and glaring at him disapprovingly but he couldn't bring himself to care.</p><p>"Where are you gonna go?" He asked him.</p><p>"South," Jon replied.</p><p>"What are you gonna do?" He demanded to know.</p><p>"Get warm," He said with a sad smile.</p><p>Edd shook his head and slammed the Valyrian Steel sword on the table.</p><p>"I was with you at Hardhome," He reminded him. "We saw what's out there. We know it's coming here. How can you leave us now?!"</p><p>Jon sighed heavily. "I did everything I could. You know that."</p><p>"You swore a vow," Edd insisted.</p><p>"Aye, I pledged my life to the Night's Watch. I gave my life." The former Lord Commander declared.</p><p>"For all nights to come." His friend stressed.</p><p>"They killed me, Edd!" Jon snapped. "My own brothers. You want me to stay here after that?"</p><p>Suddenly, their conversation was cut short by the sound of the horn.</p><p>"Riders approaching!" Someone called out. "Open the gate!"</p><p>Edd and Jon exchanged a glance before moving to the courtyard outside. There, they saw three riders cross the gates of Castle Black, one was a distinctively tall and formidable-looking blonde woman covered in black armor, a young man that might be her squire for all intents and purposes if not actual rank and...</p><p>"<em>It can't be!</em>" Jon thought, shocked. "<em>Sansa</em>?!</p><p>
  
</p><p>He watched as his sister climbed down her horse, and as could see how much she had grown into a beautiful young woman in the last few years. Then her eyes found him and her lips started quivering ever so slightly. Barely aware of what he was doing, Jon went down the stairs and got closer. There they stood in front of each other, emotions swelling within them now that they have reunited again after so long and all they had endured since they last met. Unable to contain themselves, they ran forward and embraced each other more tightly than ever, joy filling them both.</p><p>
  
</p><p>And that's when Jon remembered his strange vision. He was still coming to grips with the fact he has been brought back to life so he hadn't been sure if the dream from when he was dead was just the ramblings of a dying mind. And yet he was breathing again so perhaps the Lord of Light or an Old God actually decided to intervene on his behalf. Still, making him the absolute god of his family tree in practically every way? That seemed like a stretch regardless of religion.</p><p>But as Sansa, who Jon could feel was a woman, grown, no longer a skinny child, continued to hug him, he couldn't help but grasp if it was true.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"This is good soup," Sansa said, a bit of surprise in her tone.</p><p>Jon smiled lightly at her, amused.</p><p>"Do you remember those kidney pies Old Nan used to make?" She asked.</p><p>"With the peas and onions? Mmm," Jon hummed, reminiscing. "We never should have left Winterfell."</p><p>"Don't you wish we could go back to the day we left?" She wondered aloud. "I want to scream at myself, "Don't go, you idiot."</p><p>Jon hesitated, remembering that the voice in the dream told him his new abilities would include the capacity for changing the past of his family members. Tempting as that was though, the mere possibility seemed too dangerous for him. If he was going to experiment, he would prefer to start on a much smaller scale. So, he shrugged at Sansa's comment.</p><p>"How could we know?" He said evenly.</p><p>"I spent a lot of time thinking about what an ass I was to you," Sansa admitted with some guilt in her voice. "I wish I could change everything."</p><p>"We were children," Jon responded empathically.</p><p>"I was awful," She insisted, "just admit it."</p><p>Her brother chuckled at that. "You were occasionally awful. Still, I'm sure I can't have been great fun. Always sulking in the corner while the rest of you played."</p><p>"Can you forgive me?" She asked of him.</p><p>"There's nothing to forgive," The former Lord Commander said as he shook his head.</p><p>"Forgive me," Sansa said more strongly, delightful mischief in her gaze.</p><p>Jon paused, realizing that now was as good a time as any to see if there was truth to the dream. But he had to ask his sister to do something she would never do otherwise to make sure the powers work. Thinking quickly, an obvious answer came to mind.</p><p>"Tell you what," Jon said with a grin that seemed to indicate he was joking while, inwardly, he was trying to focus in order to will his wish into reality, "I will forgive you if you strip naked before me."</p><p>Sansa raised an eyebrow. "Seriously Jon? I mean, I suppose it's understandable that now that you have a loophole out of the Night's Watch you must be eager to fuck but don't you think that joke is a bit too crude?"</p><p>Only after she finished talking did she realized that she had already removed her cloak and her hands were already in the process of getting rid of her dress. "What the...?!" Sansa gasped, startled. "Why can't I control my arms?"</p><p>Jon's jaw dropped to the floor as his sister started tugging at her undergarments. Supernaturally eventful week or not, he couldn't believe this was actually happening. Before long he felt his cock hardened like never before, and Sansa's beautiful body was laid bare before him, much to her confusion.</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, there you go. I hope you enjoyed the new update. I would like to take a moment to address a comment from Sansan however. The comment was:</p><p>"Have you forgotten that sansa was brutally raped by Ramsey while you decide to make her Jon's sex toy???"</p><p>To which I reply, there might be some experimentations and regrets on Jon's part now that he actually knows he has power over his family tree but as we will see in the next chapter and definitely more clearly before the end of Story arc One, Jon will not be seeking to make Sansa into his mindless sex toy. They will definitely have sex and their relationship will grow and evolve more and more as the chapters pass. Actually, Story Arc Three: Power Base is going to spend a fair bit of time exploring that. Just wanted to put it out there before I get more hate in the comments due to how the first chapter turned out.</p><p>Now, with that out of the way, you know the drill. I already have the next chapter ready, so the more comments I get, the faster I update. Hopefully, see you in a few hours.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Sansa's Unexpected Religious Turn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here we are with the next chapter, as promised. Thanks once more for the support.  Have fun!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jon snapped out of the lustful cloud that fogged his mind when he noticed his sister had a terrified look on her face. Then it hit him.</p><p>"<em>You IDIOT!</em>" He mentally yelled as he got up. "<em>Confirmation or not, Sansa told you earlier that Ramsey had been abusing her</em>. <em>And now you made her get naked without any control?</em>"</p><p>He rushed towards her and placed her cloak around her again, chanting apologies along the way. When she was sufficiently covered Jon sat back down and covered his face on his hands, remorse evident in his body language.</p><p>There was a very long silence after that, only interrupted by the cracks of wood in the fireplace that illuminated the Lord Commander's quarters. Then, Jon felt Sansa's soft hands around his shoulder but he didn't dare look her in the eye after that.</p><p>"Jon..." His sister said slowly. "Something unexpected happened to you during your...resurrection, didn't it? Well, something stranger than getting revived in the first place, mad as that sounds. But something did happen and you hadn't told anyone about it, right?"</p><p>Jon sighed heavily but didn't answer. She moved her hand to his cheek and caressed it softly.</p><p>"Jon, you are my brother and I love you," Sansa said reassuringly. "You can tell me and, whatever it is, we will find a way to push through, together. Believe me, I have no intention of leaving you behind after everything that's happened to us these past few years. But I need you to be honest with me."</p><p>Jon smiled sadly and turned to look at her. "You are right. And forget my joking condition. You are definitely forgiven," He said, drawing a chuckle from them both. "I...am just not sure where to begin. It's a...truly tall tale but that doesn't make it any less true."</p><p>Sansa nodded with an understanding look on her face. "I can imagine. Well, start from the beginning."</p><p>And so he told her. How the darkness that surrounded him after he lay dying was interrupted when a powerful god grabbed his soul and brought it to a strange new land that had a tree much bigger than every weirwood tree on Westeros combined. That the mighty deity had decided to grant him godly powers. And how he decided to test them out on her to make sure it was not just a maddening dream by making her do something she wouldn't normally do, only for him to regret it later and with good reason.</p><p>By the time he was done, Sansa's face was a mask of shock. She opened her mouth only to close it more than once, completely at a loss as to what to say. Finally, she forced herself out of her stupor by slapping herself. Then she groaned, realizing that SHE wasn't the one dreaming.</p><p>"So..." She finally said, shaking her head, "you are my God now?"</p><p>"Not by choice," Jon assured her in an attempt to calm her down. "But the Lord of Light, or whoever the hell this deity was, wouldn't take no for an answer and I wasn't exactly in any position to deny him."</p><p>"I...believe you," Sansa said slowly but firmly. "Still, this is a LOT to wrap my head around."</p><p>"No kidding," Jon muttered.</p><p>There was another long pause as the redhead tried to digest the fact that her brother has ascended into godhood. It wasn't easy to process.</p><p>"Anyway," Sansa said in an attempt to change the topic, "Where will you go now that you can actually leave the Night Watch in peace?</p><p>"Where will we go, you mean," Jon said with conviction. "If I don't watch over you, Father's ghost will come back and murder me, godly powers or not."</p><p>His sister laughed merrily at that, her smile wide. "Alright then, where will we go?"</p><p>Jon sighed. "I can't stay here, not after what happened."</p><p>"Then there's only one place we can go to," She assured him. "Home."</p><p>"Should we tell the Boltons to pack up and leave?" He asked sarcastically.</p><p>"We'll take it back from them," Sansa insisted.</p><p>"I don't have an army," Jon replied.</p><p>"Do you even need an army now that you are a god?" She countered.</p><p>"Strictly speaking, my wishes only come true when they involve you or someone else in our family tree," He stated. "Hell, they don't even work on me alone, so I am not invincible."</p><p>"Fine then," Sansa relented. "How many wildlings did you save?"</p><p>"They didn't come here to serve me," Jon argued.</p><p>"They owe you their lives," His sister declared. "You think they'll be safe here if Roose Bolton remains Warden of the North?"</p><p>"Sansa..." He started to say.</p><p>"Winterfell is our home," She pressed. "It's ours and Arya's and Bran's and Rickon's. Wherever they are, it belongs to our family. We have to fight for it."</p><p>"I'm tired of fighting!" Jon snapped. "It's all I've done since I left home."</p><p>He got closer to her, aware that she could see the pain on his face.</p><p>"I've killed brothers of the Night's Watch. I've killed wildlings. I've killed men that I admire. I hanged a boy younger than Bran," He shouted, his voice trembling. "I fought and I lost."</p><p>Sansa stared at his tormented brother, her heart going out for him as she took a deep breath. Then, she moved closer until her faces were just a few inches away and held his hands with her's.</p><p>"If we don't take back the North, we'll never be safe," She said softly but with certainly in her tone. "I want you to help me."</p><p>Their gazes meet for a lingering moment, silence filling the room. Then Sansa's eyes widened as she blushed profusely. But soon her gaze hardened in determination, leaving Jon at a loss.</p><p>"You said the God that gave you these powers specified that you can only make your wishes work if they also involve family members in the wording?" She asked quickly.</p><p>"Yes..." Jon said slowly. "Why?"</p><p>"I know you are tired of fighting Jon and honestly, it makes perfect sense why you would be," She said in agreement. "So, why don't you allow me to sweeten the pot?"</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>"...what?" Jon asked when he regained his voice again, shocked, realizing where she was going but scarcely able to believe it.</p><p>Sansa passed a hand over her face, her cheeks looking very flushed. That said, her gaze remained determined.</p><p>"You heard me," She said, clearing her throat. "Right now I am the only family you have close by so we have to make do with what we got. And if you need to be doing something to me for a wish to work then we might as well...take care of each other's needs in the process."</p><p>The siblings stared at each other, their thoughts wandering towards places they both usually kept very close to the chest. Eventually, Jon rubbed his forehead.</p><p>"Sansa," He said slowly, pausing to collect his thoughts. "You have definitely grown into a remarkably beautiful young woman and yes, I would be lying if I said I have never thought about doing the deed with you but there is a big difference between thought and reality. The very fact I can now blur the lines between the two when it comes to you on a whim should be impossible but since it isn't, then it should be terrifying. So, why aren't you scared out of your mind?" He demanded to know.</p><p>Sansa was quiet for a long moment, her deep breaths resonating in the otherwise silent room. Then, she smiled warmly at him.</p><p>"Because I trust you, Jon. Because I know you will never put me through hell as Ramsey did. Because this way we can take advantage of your newfound godhood to help reclaim our home. And because..." She added softly with knowing eyes. "I would also be lying if I said I have never, ever thought about laying with you."</p><p>With that, she moved closer until their faces were inches apart. Their hearts started pounding much faster as they stared into each other's eyes and before long, Sansa removed the cloak that was covering her bare body. Yet Jon's eyes remained on her face, mesmerized by the love and faith he found there.</p><p>And like that, their lips first met.</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yeah, I know the chapter may seem a bit rushed but I wanted to set the stage for certain things at the beginning that would influence the plotline and their growing relationship later so I decided to accelerate the pace there. Besides, Sansa really wants to take back her home and well, now she has just realized her "half-brother" new powers could be quite useful in their quest, which explains a few things.</p><p>For those that didn't like it, not to worry, the coming chapters right after this one will have their moments if you are unconvinced. For now, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments down below. Remember, I am more likely to post the next chapter faster the more comments I get, although, on that note, positive feedback is preferred, for obvious reasons. I take all respectful comers though. </p><p>Finally, yeah, that was technically an image with Ygritte at the end. I will sometimes do things like that if I can find enough resemblance in a picture that doesn't focus on the character's face but otherwise fulfills my purpose for the scene. More gifs to come in the very next chapter.</p><p>Anyway, hope you liked it. Until next time.</p><p>P.S. Anyone knows how to edit my third chapter so that I can delete the second author note at the end that got repeated for some reason from chapter one? As I said, I am kind of new to this site when it comes to writing so I would appreciate the help. Thanks</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Of Dreams Restored</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for the comments, everyone! The interest has been higher on this site than I expected, especially with how fast it has been made known. So, for keeping me in a good mood, here is the next chapter! Enjoy XD</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Their passionate kiss lasted quite a while and Jon could feel Sansa's erect nipples poking at his chest. Instinctively, he placed an arm around her naked back and hugged her closer until they could feel each other's heartbeat. Eventually, they had to break off for air, their breathing ragged as they embraced.</p><p>"Mmm," She hummed as she opened her eyes, content. "That was nice."</p><p>"Sansa..." Jon said in a wondrous tone, "are you sure you want to do this?"</p><p>She nodded; her pupils dilated.</p><p>"Oh, just shut up," She said before holding his cheeks and giving him another heated kiss.</p><p>That was when they started moving towards the bed and his very naked sister started to help him remove his clothes. They both moaned between liplocks, their arousal getting stronger as they opened the floodgates that used to hold back their feelings for each other, even from themselves. Before long, Jon's chest and legs were exposed and they were making out on the white sheets of the Lord Commander's bed.</p><p>Then, Sansa moved down Jon's short pants, exposing his long, hard cock to the winter night's cold. He groaned when his sister started to rub it, her mischievous eyes complimented by her smirk and he started to wonder if Sansa managed to pick up some lessons on seduction back in King's Landing.</p><p>"Why don't you try out a wish to make ourselves more comfortable?" She asked him, curiosity in her tone.</p><p>"Like what?" He wondered, inhaling sharply at her ministrations.</p><p>Sansa grinned, her body still slightly tense but clearly getting more and more comfortable. Then she moved closer to his ear.</p><p>"Surprise me," She whispered with want.</p><p>It wasn't that easy to concentrate while she kept giving him a handjob but then he got an idea.</p><p>"I wish that while I am in the company of Sansa for tonight, this room is as warm and comfortable as the hot springs chambers of Winterfell," Jon voiced out.</p><p>At first, nothing happened but in a matter of seconds, the air became hot and moist and the temperature became much, much more comfortable. Sansa had a marveled look on her face as she stared at her handsome brother, the cold weariness in her muscles melting away.</p><p>"Oh, this is going to be so hard to get used to but definitely consider me pleasantly surprised," She giggled.</p><p>Jon couldn't help but agree. He hadn't felt so comfortable in years. Still, before things went any further, he had something to say. So, caressed his lovely sister's cheek and stared at her with longing.</p><p>"Sansa," He said softly. "Are you sure this is what you want? I would completely understand if your...experiences with Ramsey left you with a really bad impression of sex."</p><p>His auburn-haired sibling sighed at that a small tear running down her eye as if on reflex. Jon looked somber and tenderly wiped it way.</p><p>"You are not wrong," She admitted. "Nightmares of the night he raped me still wake up at night every now and then. But...I have always dreamed of sharing my bed with someone that truly cares about me and right now, I can't think of anyone that makes me feel safe and cared for more than you," His sister whispered.</p><p>Jon shook his head as the last of his restraint melted away and he snugged her again; making her moan. He was slightly disappointed when she chose to break away but then he caught on the lustful look on her face and he drew a sharp breath when he saw her move down his body. She gave him one last grin and then started to suck his cock with passion.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Jon groaned in ecstasy as Sansa massaged his cock with her enthusiastic tongue for several minutes; her increasingly delighted gaze making him feel on fire.</p><p>"Argh, I am gonna..." He couldn't finish the obvious sentence as his climax began.</p><p>Luckily, his lovely sister figured it out as she placed her lips around the tip and sucked deeply. He damn near jumped from the bed at the sensations he felt, but soon, she swallowed most of his cum.</p><p>The siblings panted for a long moment as they reveled in the pleasure they felt. Then, Jon focused his eyes on Sansa's face and could see the joy in her features plain as day. Before long, she started to move up from his cock in order to straddle him, her smile radiant.</p><p>
  
</p><p>As unforgettable as the sight was to him, however, he was still a bit perplexed inside at Sansa's eagerness. While he believed what she told him, her body language revealed she was also surprising herself with the passion she was feeling. So, to satisfy his curiosity, he silently used his powers again.</p><p>"<em>I wish to know why Sansa is so excited to have sex with me, despite the taboo considerations,</em>" He thought.</p><p>Information expanded in his mind like a wildfire in a split second and he got the answer...along with a vivid memory of the first time Sansa touched herself while thinking of him.</p><p>"<em>I <strong>knew </strong>someone had started spying on me in the bathtub that one time after I forgot to lock the door,</em>" He thought as details filled his mind in an instant.</p><p>Then, he contemplated the answer as he looked up at his gorgeous sister putting her arms around him in all her naked glory. Soon enough, he started to realize that, divine interference or not, they both needed this in their own ways. He needed to feel truly alive again after death's door almost closed behind him and Sansa was still traumatized by the horrible events of her wedding night to Ramsey. She had been trying to bury her feelings but that experience had filled her with a deep-seated need to wash the horrible taste from her mouth by fucking someone that made her feel truly safe. And right now, Jon fits the bill, to say nothing of the wishful benefits.</p><p>However, the vivid knowledge of her mental scars left him feeling furious at the sadistic pig, and he couldn't help but blame himself for not been there to save her from him.</p><p>Then it hit him.</p><p>His eyes widened as inspiration struck. "<em>If she hated her first time so badly then maybe...could I...?</em>" He mentally wondered.</p><p>Liking the idea more and more with each passing second, Jon made a decision as he returned his sister's smile.</p><p>"That was wonderful, Sansa," Jon said in contentment as he started caressing her breasts. "And you were right, I truly needed that."</p><p>"As did I, to be honest," She said with a dreamy sigh, putting her legs in position. "And we hadn't even gotten to the main course yet."</p><p>"About that," Jon said with a mysterious tone, "I want to give you a gift before we get there."</p><p>"Oh?" The redhead raised an eyebrow, her lustful gaze heating up. "What kind of gift, brother mine?"</p><p>Jon smiled sadly before closing his eyes, his massaging hand moving closer to her heart and found its beating increasing at the warm touch.</p><p>
  
</p><p>Then, Sansa's eyes widened as she felt something very strange and unfamiliar inside her cunt. The sensations faded quickly and her expression turned puzzled.</p><p>"What was that?" She asked in confusion.</p><p>The new god took a deep breath and locked his gaze with hers. "I know how important your dreams of a wonderful marriage were to you and I know being raped by that disgusting monster on your wedding night must have been awful so...I used my newfound powers to heal your virginity," He revealed.</p><p>There was absolute silence in the Lord Commander's Quarters for exactly two seconds. Then, Sansa covered her mouth in shock, as she started tearing up. He could practically see a heavy weight being lifted from her shoulders and before long, she attacked his face with kisses.</p><p>"Oh, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!" She cried out. "I can't believe you could restore my maidenhead but thank you so much!"</p><p>"It was the least I could do to ease your pain, now that I have a power that makes it possible," Her brother replied.</p><p>Then he sighed, feeling the need to reassure her despite his own desires on the matter. "And just so you know, if you would prefer not to give it to me now that you have a second chance, I will completely understand..."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sooo...that happened XD</p><p>What do you think will happen next? Will Sansa accept Jon's offer? And what do you want to happen :P</p><p>Share your thoughts down below, for the sooner I get a satisfying response, the sooner I will show you all the answer to that question. Until next time!</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. A Willing Gift</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, I have to say, the response to my tale so far has exceeded my expectations by quite a large margin for its very first day. As a result, here a new fast update for all the encouraging readers that are curious to learn more. It will be a bit shorter than the last one, granted, but I hope the gifs make up for it :P</p><p>I will continue with more chapters tomorrow. But for now, have fun!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As a reply, Sansa gave him a long, fiery kiss, her nipples pressing his chest as she did so. Jon moaned, the intensity of her assault leaving his breath labored. Moreover, she pressed her body so close to his that even her folds were grinding against his cock, hardening it even further. Then their lips parted; his sister's face a vision of adoration.</p><p>"Make love to me, Jon," She whispered, her voice brimming with desire.</p><p>He couldn't say no to her after all that. Inhaling sharply, the Bastard of Winterfell buried the last of his doubts and embraced his feelings towards his sister. His restraint forgotten, he quickly flipped her bare form until her back was on the bed, making her gasp in surprise. Sansa grinned, spreading her legs for her attractive brother. Jon's mouth watered at her dripping pussy lips.</p><p>Dripping for him.</p><p>Making a rushed wish, he positioned his member directly at her entrance, heat radiating from his sister's core.</p><p>"I just used my powers to make sure no one on Castle Black will be able to hear anything coming out of this room while we are here," Jon said quickly. "So, you can be as loud as you want."</p><p>Sansa smirked at that, her eyes mischievous. "How thoughtful of you, big brother. Now stop teasing and fuck me!"</p><p>He didn't need to be told that twice. Without any more hesitation, he speared his sister's cunt, claiming her restored maidenhead with one thrust. Sansa screamed her head off right then and there, and Jon smirked as he moaned, realizing she just discovered his little surprise.</p><p>"I may have added a line about replacing the pain of losing your virginity with pleasure in that wish," He said in an innocent tone. "I thought you would appreciate that."</p><p>Sansa's eyes widened as her whole body quivered in rapture. "<strong>Fu-fuck!</strong>!" She gasped. "That feels so good!"</p><p>Jon drew a long breath and took that as his cue to start pounding the living daylights out of his sister's magnificent hole. They both moaned in ecstasy as he fucked her hard and fast, mesmerized by the works of art that were her bouncing tits.</p><p>
  
</p><p>"Damn!" Jon grunted. "Your pussy is on fire, sis. It feels so heavenly."</p><p>Sansa chuckled at that then hissed as another thrust penetrated her, her expression a mask of smoldering lust. "Good to see you approve... my brotherly <strong>God</strong>."</p><p>Jon's eyes snapped wide open at what she said, feeling a beast inside him clawing to get out. Practically growling, Jon lifted her in his strong arms with his dick still inside her and then flipped her around, getting her on her hands and knees, making her cry out in delight.</p><p>Then, he proceeded to screw his spectacular sister with long and hard strokes. Sansa couldn't help but moan as she was dominated by her beloved sibling.</p><p>"<em>Is this what amazing sex actually feels like</em>?" She thought in between thrusts, her body trembling with pleasure.</p><p>"That's the spot!" Sansa screamed. "Please fuck me faster and don't stop!"</p><p>Jon groaned, feeling such a rush of lust as he heard his sister begged for his cock. He grabbed her red mane with one hand and started pinching a nipple with the other as he redoubled his efforts.</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"What am I?!" Jon yelled, feeling drunk with power for once.</p><p>Sansa only hesitated for a brief moment, then she raised her head high when she felt his cock hit the entrance of her womb, as something truly snapped within her.</p><p>"YOU ARE MY BROTHER AND MY GOD!" Sansa screamed, her eyes going to the back of her head as she orgasmed. "Fill me with your incestuous seed and make me yours!"</p><p>He drew out a long breath at that, sensing his own climax approaching while he felt her tight heat trying to squeeze him inwards. Kissing his sister's neck one more time, he slammed his member deep inside and let go; his cum filling her very core.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Before long, they collapsed on the bed, panting, and started to process everything they just did. Then their gazes locked, with Sansa giving him a lovely smile. When they kissed, their last doubts were washed away. They both knew they were more than just siblings now.</p><p>And they were fine with that.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Decisions and Safeguards</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>IMPORTANT NOTES: If anyone can tell me what I am doing wrong when posting new chapters that make the lower author notes from the introduction get repeated in the latest ones, I am posting not one but TWO chapters if the explanation helps me solve the problem. Sorry in advance if it seems like a simple issue but as I said, I am new to writing stories over here.</p><p>Now, this chapter will be the end of Story Arc One: Unexpected Ascension. And it will answer some questions I know some of you have been asking me. Also, in a soon to be released chapter, Jon will discuss with Sansa one of the ramifications from the final comment from the strange god in chapter 1 that was originally omitted because I didn't notice I posted a copy of an earlier draft. So, if you don't know what I am talking about, feel free to check out the final instruction he gave Jon. If not, be aware that this chapter will address that point.</p><p>Thanks for all the support so far, everyone! And as always, I hope you like this:</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sansa Stark was silent as the iron cage continued to elevate her to the top of the Wall, her expression deep in thought. It had been two days since she arrived at Castle Black and realized that her life would never be the same. Her caring brother becoming her god would do that to her prospects, she supposed. But unfathomably large as that revelation was, her thoughts kept straying to her first time with Jon.</p><p>Her cheeks flushed slightly at the memory. She never expected that her most suppressed fantasy would ever come true. It was just so taboo and as lucky as Cersei and Jamie have been when it comes to avoiding total ruination as a consequence of their relationship, she knew they were worse off than before the War of the Five Kings started. And even then, they had to keep their incestuous actions a secret for nearly 20 years.</p><p>"<em>And they could be described as the fortunate ones</em>," Sansa thought grimly.</p><p>And yet...as she thought of how safe and happy she felt when making love to Jon and how pleasantly alive he made her feel, she couldn't help but realize that now she understood the hated Queen Mother a little better. If nothing else, Cersei must have felt better in her twin's arms than in those of the whore-loving King Robert.</p><p>Sansa sighed, causing Brianne of Tarth to raise an eyebrow.</p><p>"Is something the matter, my Lady?" The blonde guard asked.</p><p>"Not really," The redhead said slowly. "I was just remembering something."</p><p>The Knight in all but name nodded, an empathetic look on her face. "I can imagine. Meeting Peter Baelish again after what he put you through by handing you to the Boltons must have brought up all sorts of unpleasantness."</p><p>Sansa paused, opting not to contradict her because she would have to come up with other excuses on the spot for obvious reasons.</p><p>"It did," She replied as she averted her gaze, not actually lying on that front. "But don't worry too much about that. I have a feeling we are about to receive good news."</p><p>Brianne looked up, the end almost within reach. "Is that why your brother asked us to meet him all the way at the top of the Wall? Seems a bit unnecessary."</p><p>Her liege shrugged. "Jon executed the traitors that conspired against him but he was still shaken by their betrayal. Maybe he wants to make sure we are alone first."</p><p>"Hmm,' Brianne hummed. "I guess that makes sense."</p><p>She said no more as they finally reached the top because the sight before them took both their breaths away. Vast, evergreen forests hundreds of miles across, snow as far as the eye could see and tall mountains in the far distance; made to look closer because they were so high themselves. The yellow rays of dusk were starting to fade away, but they contrasted quite well with the horizon.</p><p>
  
</p><p>Far and away, a memorable first impression.</p><p>"Enjoying the view?" Jon asked as he approached them from nearby.</p><p>Sansa smiled. "It's beautiful. Way colder than down there," She added as she straightened her scarf, "but certainly beautiful."</p><p>"True and true," Her brother replied with a chuckle. "But well, I couldn't let you leave Castle Black without getting to see this."</p><p>Then his expression turned serious and the redhead noticed he was looking at Brianne with just a tad bit of wariness in his eyes. Normally she would have vouched for her tall, female guard to stay but given the topics that she suspected their conversation will include, it probably wasn't a good idea.</p><p>"Lady Brianne," Sansa said softly, "Could you please excuse me and my brother for a few minutes?"</p><p>The female warrior frowned but nodded her compliance and walked away, her gaze focusing on the view while she kept her blade close. They waited until they were sure she was out of earshot and then locked eyes with each other. Sansa blushed; the memories of their shared passion flooding back in.</p><p>They hadn't really talked much about what happened between them since Ramsey's bloodthirsty letter reached them a few hours after they first had sex. Jon assured her he didn't regret it but he quickly got busy writing letters of his own and discussing strategy with Tormund, Ser Davos, and the Red priestess that brought him back. And that was without all his brooding. Between all this and her trip to Moletown to speak with Littlefinger, the redhead realized she had been away from him long enough to start craving his company.</p><p>And his naked flesh...</p><p>"Why did you call me here, Jon?" She asked, trying to keep the feelings of longing from her tone.</p><p>Jon was silent for a while, his expression pensive as he stared at her. Then he sighed and looked at the horizon.</p><p>"I have been doing a lot of thinking, Sansa," Jon began, "trying to figure out where I want to go from here after everything that has happened. And...trying to figure out what we are going to do with our relationship."</p><p>Sansa took a deep breath at that, feeling unexpectedly nervous. "Okay," She said simply. "Have you decided something?"</p><p>"A lot, actually," He replied. "But before I get to that, there is something you must know. I used my new powers to find out the location of our surviving siblings and to learn what they have been up to lately."</p><p>Her eyes widened. "Where are they?" She asked in urgency.</p><p>"Well, for starters, Ramsey wasn't lying," Jon said grimly. "He really does has Rickon on his dungeon and it was Lord Umber who handed him over."</p><p>Sansa's gaze hardened as she heard that one of their bannermen had betrayed them. "We will deal with them eventually," She said confidently. "What about the others?"</p><p>"Arya made it to the Free City of Braavos," Her brother responded.</p><p>Her eyes widened at that. "Wait, what? Did she cross the Narrow Sea? What is she even doing there?"</p><p>Jon sighed heavily. "It seems that at some point after escaping King's Landing, she ended up impressing a member of an order of magical assassins, known as the Faceless Men, enough to give her a coin that would grant her safe passage in any Braavosi vessel," He explained. "Eventually, she used it and took him up on his offer to train under him, hoping to get much stronger in the process."</p><p>Sansa bit her bottom lip, feeling concerned. "Why am I not surprised that training under an elite guild of assassins sounds like something that would interest her?"</p><p>"Because it isn't surprising," Her brother said flatly as they shared a knowing look.</p><p>She sighed but nodded. "And Bran?"</p><p>"Believe it or not, he is actually relatively close to Castle Black but he easily has the strangest story," Jon assured her.</p><p>Five minutes later, she couldn't help but agree with her sibling.</p><p>"So let me get this straight," Sansa muttered. "You became a god and Bran became a powerful sorcerer to the ancient enemies of the White Walkers?"</p><p>Jon nodded slowly. "Sort of. I have met other wargs before since their rare spark of magic seems to burn more frequently among people of unbroken First Men blood and most wildlings fit that description. It seems the Greenseers are a more powerful and far rarer form of warg, however, with additional powers to boot. The remaining Children of the Forest and the last trained Greenseer are helping him hone his abilities about 80 miles beyond the Wall in preparation for the invasion of the Army of the Dead."</p><p>The auburn-haired woman shivered at that, still having a hard time imagining such a horrific army, but never failing to understand it would be an awful sight.</p><p>"We have to get our family back together," She declared.</p><p>"Agreed," The young god said with a nod. "But that brings me back to my deep soulsearching. And you need to know what decisions I have made."</p><p>"Of course," Sansa responded with curiosity in her tone. "So, what have you decided?"</p><p>Her brother was silent for a very long moment as he seemed to organize his thoughts. When he spoke, Sansa could feel that he has already made up his mind.</p><p>"Look, Sansa," Jon started with a grimace. "I am aware that now I have the power to take back our home in an instant but the more I think about it, the more I am concerned with the idea."</p><p>His sister raised an eyebrow at that but said nothing, gesturing for him to continue. It didn't take him long to gather his thoughts.</p><p>"As you know, I have always tried my hardest to follow our father's example and be an honorable man," He went on. "I have ingrained those lessons deep into my being. And that's what gives me pause. There is absolutely nothing honorable in gaining access to such incredible powers, not when no one on this earth is my equal anymore, not even the Night's King. My new status unbalances things to the extreme and to be honest, I am afraid that if left unchecked, I will end up becoming more corrupt than the entire nest of vipers in King's Landing."</p><p>He paused and his red-headed sister bit her bottom lip, seeing where he was coming from. She certainly didn't want Jon to stray too far from the path that turned him into the brother she knows and loves in more ways than one. And yet...</p><p>"I get it," She said diplomatically. "But...Jon, as important as it was, honor is what got our father killed while I watched," She whispered, the wind carrying the grief in her voice. "We shouldn't waste the opportunity we have been given to take back what's ours."</p><p>Jon sighed at that. "Point taken, but I didn't say I am not going to use my new powers ever again. I do recognize how useful they can be even on a smaller scale. However, if at all possible, during our quest to reclaim Winterfell I would prefer to avoid any wish overt enough to get the masses to worship me as a God. That's just not me. And making a wish that would deliver Winterfell back to us in a flash despite our enemies outnumbering us would be impossible to explain in any other way, especially when word gets out that death wasn't the end of me" He argued.</p><p>His sister nodded slowly, understanding on her features.</p><p>"You are right, being worshiped by the people wouldn't suit you," She said, then hesitated. "So...what do you have in mind?"</p><p>Jon closed his eyes momentarily, as if ashamed. But then he turned back to her and she saw duty carved in his gaze.</p><p>"The lesser of the two evils," He muttered. "I am going to have to play the Game of Thrones."</p><p>She started at that, her blue eyes widening. "Some elaboration would be nice," She said simply.</p><p>Jon interlocked his fingers, his gaze staring far into the distance.</p><p>"The Army of the Dead is coming, sister," He said, a haunted expression on his face. "I am fairly confident that I could use my new godly powers to destroy them all before they arrive but look at the state of Westeros. Chaos and warfare have spread across the land giving rise to countless blood feuds, the harvests were interrupted and winter is coming. The civil wars have destroyed unity in a time when we should have been banding together. If I get rid of the Night King and refuse to maintain undisputable order across the land by ruling as a living god, then we would have lost our very best chance to unify the realms of men and start to mend the old wounds that are preventing a long-lasting peace. Nothing will get us to forget our differences and work together more than a massive existential threat that no faction would be able to defeat on their own."</p><p>Sansa stared at him, feeling the conviction in his tone as she analyzed his words. "I guess that makes sense. So, you want to use your powers more subtly in order to reforge the bonds of our people?"</p><p>"As I said, I am tired of fighting," Jon replied in a weary tone. "By the time I retire from all of that, I would like to avoid getting dragged into these violent messes ever again. The easiest way to do that without interfering with the free will of everyone else will be to create the conditions for the longest period of peace this world has ever seen. And I am afraid we can't do that without a common enemy."</p><p>There was a long moment of silence after he expressed his position. Then his lovely sister held his hand in hers and smiled softly. "I have to admit, it's reassuring to learn that this godhood business hasn't gotten to your head," Sansa said in relief. "I am with you, Jon, I swear. Now, what's the plan to reclaim our home?"</p><p>"I have a few ideas," The former Lord Commander said. "But the gist of it is using my resurrection as a cover story when I need to use some kind of power to increase our chances of raising an army to overthrow the Boltons. We can pass it off by implying that the god that brought me back gave me some magical abilities as a boon. Sorcerers are rare in this day and age but people still remember the legends. Of course, I would keep the enormous extent of my true abilities a secret but still, I would rather be treated as a wizard than a god."</p><p>"Fair enough," Sansa replied with a nod. "That would probably help to convince our banners that may have second thoughts about supporting us after they were devasted by the Red Wedding and the Boltons took over. But Jon..." She paused, fretting a bit. "You...hate lying," She stressed. "Are you sure this is what you want? Moreover, are you certain you can pull off these huge political deceptions convincingly? You don't exactly have much practice on that front."</p><p>"Too true," Her brother said, sighing. "Which is why I am afraid I did something dishonorable before you got here. I...used my powers to get better at lying convincingly, particularly while strategizing."</p><p>The redhead jaw dropped at that, concern in her expression. "That," She said evenly, "must have been hard for you."</p><p>The Bastard of Winterfell rubbed his forehead, distressed. "Aye. Thing is, I am worried about getting more comfortable making wishes like that before long."</p><p>His sister nodded in understanding. Then she frowned when it hit her.</p><p>"Wait, in what way did you included me in that wish?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.</p><p>Jon took a deep breath, then searched for something in his pocket. When he opened the piece of cloth, he showed her a beautifully engraved silver necklace with the sigil of House Stark.</p><p>
  
</p><p>"I made you a magical pendant," He revealed, his tone grave. "As long as you have it on, you will always be able to tell when someone is lying to you...even me," He added, looking away.</p><p>Sansa stared at him, wide-eyed, as the meaning of the gift sunk in.</p><p>"<em>He is so afraid of losing me, of losing himself to these powers, that he is trying to ensure no one can ever trick me again, come what may</em>," She thought mutely<em>. </em>"<em>And...he trusts me to stay by his side; to help him stay true to himself</em>."</p><p>At that moment, Sansa Stark realized she had never loved her brother more.</p><p>Her heart racing, she presented her neck to him. Before long, his firm hands were around her, placing the chain in its place. Then she turned to face her lover and started to tear up, emotions swelling inside her.</p><p>And so they kissed at the top of the world, her red mane caressed by the wind.</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, there is the end of Arc One! I hope you have enjoyed the ride so far.</p><p>Now, you know the drill! Comments+Interest=Faster updates. Hopefully, we will get to the beginning of Story Arc Two: Prophetic Quake soon enough.</p><p>Until next time!</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Story Arc Two: Prophetic Quake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Now that the introduction arc is done, we move on to the next one. The second arc will have fewer chapters but it will be crucial to a large chunk of the set up for the plotline. You will see why soon enough. I hope you enjoy it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Unbeknown to Jon Snow and Sansa Stark, the moment they fully consolidated their incestually divine partnership at the top of the Wall, the forces of magic flared up across the world, reacting to the unexpected new player on the supernatural board. The ripples expanded from the giant Wall in the blink of an eye, causing sacred sites and buildings permeated by old spells to rejuvenate their incantations without their original casters, like those from the Castle of Storm's End and the unspeakably ancient Seastone Chair of the Iron Islands.</p><p>But the invisible wave didn't stop there. It echoed across the Narrow Sea and arrived at the continent of Essos with unfathomable speed; its tendrils reaching the shadowy stronghold of the Faceless Men at the House of Black and White. From there it left no stone left unturned until it passed the grand Temple of the Lord of Light in Volantis. By the time it approached the House of the Undying in Qarth on its way to the Shadowlands of Asshai in the far east, not even the Ruins of Valyria had escaped the metaphysical blast; the sturdiest remnants of the highly advanced magical civilization stirring among the mist.</p><p>While most people in the known world failed to notice the significance of the event in the slightest, all remaining sorcerers and people with an innate connection to the arcane felt the shift in their bones regardless of their amount of supernatural strength; with the mightiest and wisest among them realizing that not even the return of the dragons by Daenerys Targaryen fanned the flames of magic as much as this. But even then, only a handful glimpsed the shocking truth...the future was about to change forever.</p><p>And prophecies would shake and grow.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>House of Black and White: Free City of Braavos</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    
  </strong>
</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>  </strong>
</p><p>The servant of the Many-Faced God watched as the girl once known as Arya Stark closed the outer gate of the temple. If someone would have looked at his current face, the one he took from Jaqen H'ghar, they probably would have described it as stoic. He made it clear to his protege that while she earned her second chance as an initiate, there would not be a third.</p><p>Now, he awaited her scouting report from the theatre, wondering if the girl will truly feel like no one when she sees the actors mock the tragedies that fell upon her old House. He prayed to the God of Death that she would. For all her flaws, the girl has much potential. Alas, it was not up to him.</p><p>He turned around, heading down the corridor of the Hall of Faces to continue with his other duties.</p><p>
  
</p><p>It was quieter than usual in the Temple of Death. The order of assassins has been getting busier and busier lately, with countless costumers seeking their services in these chaotic times. That left him as the only senior Faceless Man on the House of Black and White and its lone guardian. Not that anyone that hadn't already grown weary of life would ever dare attack this sacred site. The reputation of his order precedes them after all these centuries.</p><p>Which is why he was very surprised when he felt attacked.</p><p>The Faceless Man gasped as he stumbled, feeling as if something had knocked the wind out of his lungs, despite the fact he felt no blow. Dizzy, he struck the air before him, wondering if an enemy sorcerer had managed to infiltrate the temple. But he touched nothing.</p><p>Then he scanned his surroundings with the enhanced senses his training honed and found no trace of anyone in the hall, not even the faintest tip-toed step. The shapeshifting assassin frowned with his current face, confused.</p><p>"<em>Has the servant been poisoned?</em>" He wondered in silence.</p><p>He closed his eyes and searched his feelings but concluded that if he had been poisoned then it was by a substance foreign to him, which was quite unlikely given his specialty.</p><p>Then he watched from the distance as water from the holy pools rose to the ceiling like a pillar and the Faceless Man felt something he hadn't truly allowed himself to experience in years.</p><p>Pure, unbridled shock.</p><p>His borrowed eyes widened, he raced to the main room just in time for the water to return to the pool. Swallowing, he approached more slowly, reverence in his stride. He had heard of this omen before, from his mentor's mentor. Very rarely, the Many-Faced God chose to send partial visions of the future to His servants in order to guide them towards a target of great importance.</p><p>Still, as far as he knew, the last time He contacted the order directly was about three centuries ago, when the interpreters declared they were to back the Great House Martell of Westeros from the shadows until Aegon the Conqueror ceased his campaign of fire and blood. Which they did, after subtly ensuring the gift was delivered to one of the last dragons and her royal rider, before granting their assurances to House Martell that they could inform Aegon that if he didn't sue for peace, their order would kill the Conqueror's heir with his favorite sister wife.</p><p>"And now I am the only one here to witness Your will," He realized as the blacked pools started to look like the reflection of a mirror. "You do me a great honor, my Death God. I vow not to let you down."</p><p>As if on cue, the vision cleared and he paid his utmost attention to the sequence of images. He saw an enormous fortification that could only be the Wall at the north of Westeros. Then he saw a young man that was wearing the cloaks of the Night Watch being stabbed to death by his former comrades.</p><p>That didn't move the assassin, since he dealt with death all the time. But when the image changed and he noticed his dead eyes open again with the spark of life restored despite the wounds in his heart, true outraged filled H'ghar's features for the first time. How DARE him subvert the authority of the Many-Faced God! Could that be the request of his deity? To hunt down this defiler and return him to the grave?</p><p>Before he could contemplate that further, the images at the pool shifted and he saw a sight that made his jaw drop. A vast army of walking corpses, lead by a fiendish blue figure, their surroundings covered by a snowstorm.</p><p>
  
</p><p>It didn't take him long to remember the tales of the Age of Heroes and of what had to be the greatest heresy in history that the Many-Faced God had to endure.</p><p>"The White Walkers of old are returning," He said, the echoes of his voice sounding cold and lethal. "Abominations, all of them!"</p><p>Before he could truly remember what raw, untamed fury felt like, the image shifted again. And what he saw...surprised him.</p><p>
  
</p><p>The guardian of the temple blinked.</p><p>"That is definitely not one of the three dragons that were hatched by Daenerys Targaryen," He muttered. "I have read the reports from our spies. The color and proportions are all wrong. By the dark abyss, where did that creature come from?" He wondered aloud.</p><p>As if replying, the ripples expanded and the pools showed him the frozen wastes beyond the Wall and he was reminded of the resurrected warrior that was not a mindless corpse. Before he could follow that line of thought, however, the surface gave way to another sequence and while he would deny it later, the Faceless man felt a momentary shiver of fear right then and there.</p><p>That dragon was flying over Braavos, its shadow falling over their great city like an omen of annihilation.</p><p>And the light of the pools began to fade.</p><p>The senior assassin stared at the blackened surface for a long, long moment as he tried to process every detail. In the end, however, he realized that urgent as this was, he was going to have to share the visions with his fellows before acting on them.</p><p>Of one thing he was certain, though. That young heretic from the beginning that cheated the Many-Faced God out of his kill was vital to the flow of these visions. And if he dared crossed his path, he will make certain that next time he stays dead.</p><p>The assassin hardened Jaqen H'ghar's face and moved to the restricted area. It was time to rally the combined might of the Faceless Men. The abominations will be stopped.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As you can see, this chapter had a lot of foreshadowing, as well as reactions from the forces of magic to the new god in their midst and its potential to meddle with existing prophecies. More details about the ramifications of this magical flare will be revealed in the next chapter and beyond. For now, I hope you enjoyed it. If so, well you know the drill with the comments by now. Hopefully, see you soon!</p><p>P.S. The double chapter offer I made in the previous one still stands.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Red Aftershocks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Important Announcement: I will be posting the next three chapters in close succession because I just got a positive for Coronavirus today and I am starting to feel ill. Since I have no idea how just how worse I will end up feeling tomorrow, I am accelerating the pace of the posts until the end of Story Arc 2. Still, while I may not have the energy to reply to the posts as often, I am sure some of your comments will brighten my day so, I would appreciate the feedback.</p><p>Enjoy this chapter, and the next two soon to come.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>Great Pyramid of Meeren: Slaver's Bay</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>Kinvara felt shaken to the core as the fire died out. Which was extremely hard to accomplish. After all, she was the High Priestess of the Red Temple of Volantis, the Flame of Truth, the Light of Wisdom, and First Servant of the Lord of Light. She should be above doubt or at least know better than to allow it to fester in her features, even if she was alone. And yet, her mind was completely rattled over the possible futures she had seen in the flames.</p><p>
  
</p><p>Curiously enough, the fact she saw the forces of the Great Other, the icy enemy of her god, R'hllor, in the process of attacking someone wasn't actually that surprising to her. Like she already told Lord Varys and Tyrion Lannister, she believed Daenerys Targaryen is the one who was promised; the prophesied champion sent by the Lord of Light to save them from the dark times to come. As a result, she had expected the so-called White Walkers to return from the Lands of Always Winter eventually.</p><p>She also wasn't concerned that she had seen her Lord's chosen naked in what had to be Vaes Dothrak.</p><p>
  
</p><p>The fact the flames didn't harm her at all was proof the Lord of Light loved her, after all, and she had even smirked when she realized the Dothraki that bowed before her will be more receptive to their religious teachings than ever before.</p><p>After that, however, her heart had skipped a beat.</p><p>At first, Kinvara had blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what she saw. But then the image got even clearer in her mind's eye. The sight of the one who was promised naked again, but this time in chains and on her knees like a slave. Before she could have fully processed her horror, she had noticed how the chains turned into blood, of all things, yet held their shape around her.</p><p>And Daenerys Targaryen had smiled the entire time.</p><p>The high priestess shivered as she started to pray for guidance. "My Lord," She said in a small voice. "What does this blood omen means?"</p><p>When the visions in the fire stopped abruptly, Kinvara realized that this was going to be a long night.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay. Hope there were some things that caught your attention. Onto the next chapter.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Into the Reach</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here it goes. Enjoy the next bit of set up from this story arc.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>The Citadel: City of Oldtown.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Archmaester Marwyn, also known as Marwyn the Mage felt concerned and excited in equal measures as he paced through his personal study. His heartbeat racing, he started to analyze the implications of everything he had seen as the images faded from his extremely rare mirror.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>It had taken him two months to find something truly new and valuable in the Ruins of Valyria. Two moons fraught with peril at every turn. Normally, the Citadel wouldn't have sanctioned his scholarly expedition to the doomed heart of the ancient civilization, but he figured Archmaester Vaellyn convinced them that this would be an excellent opportunity to get rid of his stubborn self without actually having a hand on his demise.</p><p>It was so satisfying to see the looks of displeasure in their wrinkled faces when they realized he had said not today to the God of Death the entire time. And while he could tell they had wanted to take over his mirror made of Valyrian Steel for analysis or worse, lock it in a vault until he died, he reminded them that as the only living Archmaester of the Higher Mysteries it was his prerogative to be the first to study this rare artifact. And for all their distaste of his craft, the Conclave still tended to follow their own dictates more often than not.</p><p>And so he had begun experimenting. He was sure that the opaque crystal within the metallic frame must have been enchanted by the Valyrians long ago to work in conjunction with its magically-forged blades. He just wasn't certain of their purpose. But eventually, after several maddening nights where he conducted every viable experiment he could think of that involved the Higher Mysteries, he finally had a breakthrough.</p><p>The Citadel had acquired magical Glass Candles from Old Valyria over a thousand years earlier. They used to burn with magical fire and it was claimed by the Valyrians that when they burned, their sorcerers could see across mountains, seas, and deserts, giving men visions and dreams and allow them to communicate with one another half a world apart. Some even believed that if one channeled enough power into their spellwork, one could glimpse beyond the veil of the future and observe its possibilities before choices and circumstances narrowed them down; like the so-called dragon dreams of the dragonlords of old.</p><p>Of course, as magic potency waned across the world, the embers died out and it wasn't until recently that they barely started to burn again. While it was never made public by the Citadel, Marwyn long suspected that this was due to the return of the dragons by Daenerys Targaryen.</p><p>So, he decided to tie the obsidian candles he had found on his expedition around his head before facing the enchanted mirror in order to see if he could actually see far-flung places on its surface.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>He hadn't expected to see visions like that, however.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"So, the revived Jon Snow will become King of the North," The Archmaester said slowly as he analyzed the visions. "And in the process, he will lead us through the next Long Night while becoming the most powerful Sorcerer King the known world has ever seen."</p><p>He took a deep breath as he contemplated the enormity of what he had seen. Then he realized he wouldn't miss this for the world. Not even if his rivals went on their knees and begged him to become the next Grand Maester.</p><p>"<em>Winterfell will need an advisor with extensive training on the higher mysteries because of what is to come</em>," He thought with conviction. "<em>I better start making the arrangements so I can get there shortly before the Starks reclaim their home. And I will need an assistant. I suppose that new initiate,</em> <em>Samwell Tarly,</em> <em>would make a good apprentice, and since he came from Castle Black, he probably knows this future King already.</em> <em>Yes, he will do."</em></p><p>Then Marwyn started packing without a second thought. He was so focused on his task that he paid no mind to an extremely brief vision of a potential future on the mirror that he had literally missed in a blink. If he had, he would have realized that a knight with greyscale was coming to the Citadel.</p><p>And the Archmaester had just decided to bring with him the one person that would have saved him.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A/N: For those that don't know, Marwyn the Mage is a character from the books that didn't make it into the show. If you must rationalize his new involvement, assume that he would have still been trying to figure out that Valyrian Steel mirror during the events of Season 7 &amp; 8 but Jon's ascension to godhood flared up magic across the world enough to accelerate his breakthrough. And now, his future will change as a result.</p><p>Arc two will be finished in the next chapter. Then we are back to Jon and Sansa. Hope you enjoyed it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Visions of the Depth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay, last chapter of the night. And also, the end of the setup arc known as Story Arc 2: Prophetic Quake. I hope you enjoy it and hopefully, there will be more to come tomorrow.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Pyke: The Iron Islands</em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Euron Greyjoy was NOT pleased. And that grated him, given that he had finally managed to kill his stupid brother and claimed the Salt Throne through the iron price. Alas, the unexpected ended up spoiling his coronation day.</p><p>There was a frenzy of activity across the island since he had been proclaimed King, with word spreading and people rushing to cut down trees and accelerate the pace of the jobs that would expand the Iron Fleet. And as he marched across the island's coastline, everyone was cheering and bowing before their new King, as they should if they knew what was good for them.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>But he could barely return the nods of acknowledgment as he walked into Lordsport, the largest town in Pyke, and by extension the Iron Islands.</p><p>The townspeople probably assumed he was there so shortly after his coronation to discuss some business with the local Lord of House Botley, and, after he took care of his first order of business, he supposed he might. But right now, Euron only had interest in getting back to his flagship.</p><p>The new king gritted his teeth as he thought back to the events that put him in a foul mood. It was bad enough when his niece and cock-less nephew escaped with their fastest ships but Euron was confident he would have his chance to skewer them eventually.</p><p>But then he sat upon the Salt Throne, also known to the ancients as the Seastone Chair, and the future laughed at him.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>His fist tightened. He had heard before that the most worthy among the Ironborn kings had received enlightening visions on their coronation day the first time they sat upon the Seastone Chair. And he always believed there must have been some truth to it since that throne itself was already here even before the First Men first set foot on Pyke during the Dawn Age. Surely, he had thought, the Drowned God, or at least his direct servants carved the oily stone to the shape of Kraken in an age of might and magic for an important purpose.</p><p>And after what it showed him, he would have crushed it with the rocks of the depths if it wasn't for the fact that his men would have fought to the death to remove his crown from him as a result.</p><p>"<em>The Stark banners will NOT fly over Pyke ever again,</em>" He yelled in his mind, glaring as the dusk finally gave way to the night. "<em>I swear it on the power of the seas</em>."</p><p>Eventually, after seething continuously during his hour-long march from the castle to the port, his flagship, the Silence, was finally within reach.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>He stormed ahead with single-minded purpose, as he walked over the ramp leading to the deck of his flagship. Before long his crew of mutes greeted him with beaten submission apparent in their faces. Grunting, Euron removed his large pouch from his back and showed them the medium-sized chest within as he placed it on the floor.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"I want you to find the fastest merchant ship you can find and set sail at first light," ordered the Salt King. "Make sure the sails don't mark it as a pirate ship. Then go to the fucking Free City of Braavos and deliver this chest to the House of Black and White. Do NOT leave until you get confirmation from a Faceless Man that they have accepted the contract. The letter explaining who I want them to kill is inside, along with...appropriate payment."</p><p>Then he glared at each and every one of them.</p><p>"If you fail or betray me, you should know that I will chase you across the 14 seas to feed you and your whole families to the sharks. Am I clear?!" He roared.</p><p>They nodded in unison, cowering in fear. Euron took a deep breath.</p><p>"Very well then. Get to work!"</p><p>Their king and captain turned and left as they hurried to follow his orders. As he slowed his pace, he scratched his chin, considering. Originally, he had planned to use the content of that chest to pay a Faceless Man to kill his king of a brother but ultimately he decided against it, wanting to do the deed himself. It turned out to be for the best it seems since he still managed to claim his new position and now that he had to get rid of a new target, he had was confident he had the means to pay for the contract.</p><p>"I knew that costly expedition to the Ruins of Valyria would pay off, and about time too," He muttered. "That dragon egg was hard to find."</p><p>Then he paused, as a new possibility came to him. Maybe he was going about this the wrong way. Perhaps the Drowned God sent him that vision of a potential future as a warning, not a cruel mockery of fate. In which case, it would seem that he was deemed worthy enough by his god to be guided to victory.</p><p>The Greyjoy King smirked, his expression fierce.</p><p>"<em>Let's see how you can handle an invasion of the Iron Islands while being hunted by Faceless Men, Jon Snow</em>," He thought with glee.</p><p>And with that, he headed back to Pyke to oversee their preparations; his mood improving so much that he never contemplated a plausible angle of the vision. But Euron was a Greyjoy to the core. He only knew how to reap.</p><p>That's why he failed to understand what he just sowed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, that's it for now. I hope these chapters are keeping you intrigued as to the possibilities that lay ahead. And if that's the case, I would be pleased to read your reviews on the matter, as guests commenters or otherwise. Maybe I won't have the energy to reply to your questions that fast but it would least improve my mood and that would helpful now that I have joined the ill as a result of this pandemic.</p><p>Until next time guys and gals.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Story Arc Three: Power Base</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you all for the comments and well-wishes when it came to my health. I actually woke up feeling better, so that's a plus.</p><p>Now, I hope you enjoy the next chapter, which is the first one of Story Arc 3.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>The next day, Sansa Stark noticed that Castle Black was a frenzy of activity, as the different brothers of the Night's Watch went about their duties at a quick pace. She smiled lightly from where she was standing, realizing that they were still keen to please Jon despite the fact he was no longer their official leader.</p><p>"<em>He certainly left an impression on them,</em>" The redhead thought, before sighing contently. "<em>As he has in me.</em>"</p><p>Sansa's cheeks flushed as she remembered how they made love again last night. He felt so right inside her that she wanted to lock her legs around him and never let go. But even if no one could have heard her wanton screams from the room, she knew she had to retire to her own assigned quarters before long. There were only so many times the secret meeting excuse was going to work, even if everyone knew they were happy to see each other after so long.</p><p>She was snapped out of her thoughts by her approaching personal guard. Shaking her head slightly, the Stark girl nodded in acknowledgment as the blonde warrior bowed before her Lady.</p><p>"Good day, Brianne," Sansa said in greeting. "How are the preparations?"</p><p>"Our horses are packed with supplies," She replied. "We are just waiting for your brother and we will be good to go."</p><p>Sansa nodded, as she gripped the bundle of fur she had been working on since she reunited with Jon. Then, as if on cue, the former Lord Commander entered the courtyard and Sansa gave him a knowing smile as he approached, affection thick in her gaze.</p><p>"I made it myself," She confirmed when she caught him staring at her new robes. "Do you like it?"</p><p>"Yeah, it's-- I like the wolf bit." He told her.</p><p>Her smile widened as she handed him over the fur cloak. "Good, because I made this for you. I made it like the one Father used to wear," She explained. "As near as I can remember."</p><p>Jon looked at her with gratitude evident in his eyes. "Thank you, Sansa. I will wear it with pride."</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Sansa tilted her head, happy with his reaction. "You're welcome. Now, are you ready to go?"</p><p>"About that," Her brother said slowly, "I was coming here to tell you that there has been a change of plans."</p><p>Sansa raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt him.</p><p>"I backed my friend Edd for the position of Lord Commander and he won by unanimous vote," Jon began. "Then we received a raven from the Wall's fort at East Watch By the Sea that informed us that a representative from the Iron Bank of Braavos, named Tycho Nestoris, was traveling to Castle Black to speak with a representative of Stannis Baratheon about sending him the next half of his loan."</p><p>"Huh, I guess he hasn't heard the news then," The redhead commented.</p><p>"True," Jon said in agreement. "But his loss might be our gain. After discussing the possibilities with Ser Davos, I convinced Edd to use his new position as Lord Commander to send men from all three of the manned forts to start chopping down the huge trees from the Haunted Forest directly in front of the entire Wall and prepare them for transport to East Watch. After all, trees are worth their weight in gold in Braavos due to their massive shipbuilding industry so wood from these century-spanning trees would be valid collateral in their eyes."</p><p>Sansa's eyes widened, impressed. "Clever. That way you can secure enough money for the first line of defense of the realm now that winter is nearly here."</p><p>"And for us to," He said with a nodded. "Given that Edd is aware of the great threat that approaches, he agreed to give us part of the large loan so that we can purchase more weapons, horses, and supplies in our campaign to retake Winterfell in exchange for backing them up when the time comes. And he knows I won't ignore that threat after having seen the Army of the Dead with my own eyes."</p><p>The redhead grinned, a proud look on her face. "Look at you," She chuckled. "You may not want to be worshiped but it seems that making decisions like a ruler suit you."</p><p>Jon shrugged. "When it's important, it's important," He said simply. "At any rate, the envoy won't arrive until tomorrow so I will still be traveling to the Free Folk camps nearby in order to convince them that it is in their best interest to help us remove the Boltons from power. Once that's done I'll quickly head back to Castle Black to make sure the negotiations go smoothly and sign my own contract with the Iron Bank for additional coin to be paid back after we take back Winterfell. That would be most helpful for the coming Winter. But because the negotiations will still take a bit of time, I think it would be best if you travel to Bear Island without me so that we can accelerate our plans," He explained.</p><p>Sansa, bit her bottom lip, hesitating. "I see what you mean but I was going to send Brianne south to deliver my letter in person to Uncle Blackfish at Riverrun. I would feel safer traveling alongside you."</p><p>Jon sighed. "I know and I am sorry for that. But it's important that we make our preparations as fast as possible."</p><p>Then, out of the blue, he started grinning at his sister, his eyes sparkling. "Luckily, I also had a gift for you that should keep you more than safe while I am away."</p><p>"Really?" The redhead said in an amused tone. "Alright then, I will bite. What gift?"</p><p>Jon's smile widened as he pointed his arm towards the gate from the castle that leads to the lands beyond the Wall. Clearly, it was opened at some point and she hadn't noticed. Then she saw what Jon meant by gift and her jaw dropped to the floor.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Tan...tan...tan! Any guesses as to what's the surprise? The sooner I get the debate running in the comment section, the sooner I will update. Hope you liked the opening chapter of the arc!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. A Reborn Friend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, I know I left you on a cliffhanger so I won't bore you with long author notes. So, just enjoy the ride and I hope you enjoy it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Sansa stared in disbelief as the direwolf entered the courtyard and started growling a bit as if to warn the others not to get too close.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>"Lady?" Sansa asked, her voice trembling in a hopeful tone, "Is that you?"</p><p>Then she watched as the mighty beast that was as tall as a horse turned to look at her, her features relaxing the second she smelled the wind in her direction.</p><p>
  
</p><p>Then the huge wolf lunged at her, causing everyone but Jon to tense in alarm. When Sansa fell to the ground, she started getting her face licked by her old friend and she couldn't stop herself from crying as she hugged her now-grown companion. Jon smiled warmly when she sniffed in joy and after the moment sunk in, she had to ask the obvious question.</p><p>"But how?" She wondered aloud, her eyes wide.</p><p>"Turns out," Jon started explaining, "the wound father was ordered to give her was deliberately made so it wouldn't be fatal if it was treated quickly, which it was, after a discreet bannermen made her fall asleep with milk of the poppy, before moving her to their nearby keep; after which she released beyond the wall on father's orders as soon as he could send a raven."</p><p>Sansa barely had enough time to feel the mild pulse in her neck that indicated her brother was lying before she was suddenly startled by Jon's voice inside her head.</p><p>"<em>That's the official version, anyway.</em>" He told her without moving his lips.</p><p>The redhead started, almost demanding an explanation loudly. Then she remembered the recent alterations in her belief system and her words died in her throat.</p><p>"<em>And the unofficial version is?</em>" She asked silently, knowing he would hear her.</p><p>"<em>Well, I may have used my powers to retroactively create the evidence and memories of such an event,</em>" Jon admitted, "<em>But that's actually a reborn form of Lady. I altered the past to make sure that her memories of you would be transferred to a pup from the next direwolf bitch to give birth after her original form was killed. That's why she still looks mostly like Lady, but the tone of her fur now also resembles that of Nymeria more closely. Still, as you can see, she is very happy to see you,</em>" He mentally said with a grin.</p><p>"<em>As am I</em>," Sansa thought out as she wiped off her tears, beyond touched that her brother had been able and willing to do this for her.</p><p>She started rubbing Lady's head, to which she playfully sat down in order to make it easier for her old friend to pet her. And she just sat there on the dirty snow, overcome with happiness.</p><p>"Come on," Jon called, "I only just found her again a few days ago. Let's take her to Ghost, I am sure he would like to see her again."</p><p>Sansa stood up at that, her enormous wolf by her side, as she followed her wonderful brother while smiling from ear to ear.</p><p>Before long, they found Ghost eating some meat in an isolated corner of the outer yard, chewing at the bones. Then the smaller direwolf saw his companion approach and licked its lips in contentment when Jon petted the side of his head.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"Hey there buddy," He said, grinning as Lady turned around the corner. "You recognize her, don't you?"</p><p>All at once, Ghost started wiggling his tail in excitement as he started to bark emotionally. Then the two long lost littermates tackled each other playfully, making their human companions chuckle fondly. After a moment of silent contentment, Jon turned to his sister.</p><p>"Look, just so you know, I did make some slight alterations to make Lady calmer," Jon confessed. "Aside from overt danger, she won't attack people, horses, or other domesticated animals without your say so. More to the point, she will also let you ride her when her strength allows."</p><p>The redhead's look absolutely delighted at that last revelation. "I always wanted to do that!" She shouted in excitement. "Thank you so much!"</p><p>"Anytime," Jon replied with a grin. "Now, I know you would be going without me to try to secure the aid of House Mormont but I also know you can handle it. Besides, if Lady Lyanna is anything like her uncle Jeor was, then she will certainly respect strength and honor. So, show her the honor of House Stark while riding into her hall on a strong direwolf's back and I assure you that she will take you seriously," The former Lord Commander said confidently.</p><p>Sansa nodded, taking in the sight of the reunited wolves as her eyes started fluttering; her heart pounding in affection. Then, she realized that even if someone heard them in this far-off corner of the undermanned fort, she needed to say it despite the taboo of it all.</p><p>"Jon," She said slowly as she waited for her brother to locked his gaze with hers, "there is something I don't want to be left unsaid anymore and it can't wait."</p><p>She saw him wait expectantly and she got close enough to feel his breath on her. And then, as she stared into his eyes, she whispered the most honest words she had ever said.</p><p>"I love you," She said softly, her blue eyes tearing up.</p><p>Jon let out a breath he was holding in; as if a weight has been lifted from his shoulders.</p><p>"I love you too, Sansa."</p><p>Then he looked around for a brief moment before shaking his head.</p><p>"Ah, screw it," He uttered.</p><p>And so they kissed right then and there, forever chaining a part of their hearts to each other.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Congrats to those that guessed the Direwolf aspect of the surprise. I hope you liked it. </p><p>Now, for an announcement: some chapters in story arc 3 are going to look shorter but that's mainly because I decided to merge a couple of chapters during arc one. In this story arc, however, I will have fewer good places to merge the ending of one chapter with the beginning of the next one because the chapters will switch back and forth between Jon and Sansa for a while. That said, they come with plenty of interesting surprises so I hope you enjoy them despite the shorter length.</p><p>Well, you know the drill for the comments+speed=faster updates Can't wait to read your opinions XD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. The Free Folk Camps</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Baring some quick surge in the comments, it may be the last one of the night as I will probably go to sleep in an hour or 2. But before then, you will have a chance to convince me to post more :D</p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Jon took a deep breath after he finished explaining the situation to the elders of the Free Folk that were gathered around a fire pit. They did not look amused.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"We said we'd fight with you, King Crow, when the time comes and we meant it, but this isn't what we agreed to," Dim Dalba the Elder stressed. "These aren't White Walkers. This isn't an army of the dead. This isn't our fight."</p><p>Tormund chose that moment to step in. "If it weren't for him, none of us would be here. All of you would be meat in the Night King's army," He reminded them. "And I'd be a pile of charred bones just like Mance."</p><p>The leading elder frowned, the movement shaking snow out of his red beard. "Remember Mance's camp? It stretched all the way to the horizon. And look at us now. Look what's left of us. And if we lose this, we're gone. Dozens of tribes, hundreds of generations. Be like we were never there at all. We'll be the last of the free folk," He declared, a note of despair creeping into his tone.</p><p>Jon sighed. "That's what'll happen to you if we lose."</p><p>They tilted their heads at him, tension filling their body language.</p><p>"The Boltons, the Karstarks, the Umbers, they know you're here," The former Lord Commander went on. "They know that more than half of you are women and children. After they finish with me, they'll come for you."</p><p>There was a thick pause in the camp after that proclamation, the elders glancing at each other. Then Jon stared at them with conviction.</p><p>"You're right." He admitted, his tone earnest. "This isn't your fight. You shouldn't have to come to Winterfell with me. I shouldn't be asking you. It's not the deal we made. But I need you with me if we're gonna beat them, and we need to beat them if you're going to survive."</p><p>Tormund gestured at the Bastard of Winterfell, intensity flaring through his gaze.</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"The crows killed him because he spoke for the Free Folk when no other southerners would. He died for us. If we are not willing to do the same for him, we're cowards. And if that's what we are, we deserve to be the last of the free folk," He said with an air of finality.</p><p>In response to that, the giant known as Wun Wun stood up, the enormous man staring down at them.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Tormund tensed, clearly wondering if he just provoked the strongest being in the camp but standing his ground like the Giantsbane he is. However, it was soon apparent that he only had eyes for Jon.</p><p>The new god grimaced inwardly. "<em>Well, I guess now it's as good a time as any to get on with the next part of the plan I started when I made that wish a few minutes ago,</em>" He thought. "<em>And that means it's time to lie through my teeth, unfortunately</em>."</p><p>The giant sniffed with his huge nose then narrowed his eyes.<strong> <span class="u">"You smell of power, Snow. And its scent has been growing every day since you returned from the dead. I had never sensed such otherworldly strength, not from the Children of the Forest, not from Mag the Might, and not even from the Walkers I have fought until I was ragged and barely able to escape. Yet...it feels dormant somehow. Tell me, Snow, have the Old Gods made you their champion?</span> </strong>He asked, his deep voice reverberating across the land.</p><p>"Maybe," Jon replied slowly, getting confirmation that the giants are a lot more talkative in their native tongue. "I have had my suspicions."</p><p>The Elders looked surprised at that response, along with Tormund.</p><p>"We did not know you spoke the Old Tongue, King Crow," Dim Dalba said with a raised eyebrow. "Although I must say, it is gratifying to hear that some southerners have not forgotten the original language of the First Men and the Giants."</p><p>Jon did his best to look non-puzzled and it wasn't very hard to act the part with his new abilities. "Wait, what?" He said with a shake of the head. "I don't know the Old Tongue."</p><p>The glances were exchanged among the Free Folk. Then they turned back to him.</p><p>"Then how did you understood him?" The leader asked, scratching his red beard in the process.</p><p>Jon looked around, his eyes growing wider. "Because it...sounded like the common tongue to me?" He replied in a bewildered tone.</p><p>"<em>And I am not actually lying on that front,</em>" The former Lord Commander thought to himself, "<em>I just gave Sansa and I the ability to understand any language in the world.</em>"</p><p>"Wun Wun is right," The Elder said in agreement. "The Old Gods must have blessed you with more than just your life back. The question is, how did you suddenly learn an entire language since you returned?</p><p>Suddenly, Tormund had a look of dawning realization on his face. "I know the Old tongue myself," He reminded them. "Maybe the Old Gods gave him the power to gain knowledge and more when he touches someone that knows something he doesn't, like another language."</p><p>Inwardly, Jon was sighing heavily. He knew the conversation was being herded in the direction he wanted but he still felt a bitter taste in his mouth for manipulating them, even if it was for their long-term benefit. Resolving to make it up to them later, he looked around.</p><p>"Then...how do we know for sure?" He asked, already knowing in advance what was going to happen next.</p><p>As an answer, Wun Wun extended his long, long arms and placed an open palm directly in front of Jon's face.</p><p>"Touch," The Giant said briefly with a guttural accent, this time in the common tongue.</p><p>Jon could feel the whole camp's eyes on them as he extended his hand, before tentatively, pressing his own palm against his.</p><p>After a brief pause, Jon made his wish.</p><p>Then, he cried out, as he had rehearsed inside his head. He collapsed to one knee as his entire body started trembling. Tormund immediately reached out to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>"Snow, Snow!" He called out, concerned. "Are you okay?"</p><p>Abruptly, the tremors stopped and Jon gasped out. Then he froze.</p><p>"I...yes," He said slowly. "In fact, I feel better than ever."</p><p>The Elders looked at him with a lot of curiosity evident in their expressions. Then, one of them moved towards a nearby horse and brought it directly in front of Jon. The new god didn't even have to ask what he meant since the implicit message was clear. Taking a deep breath, Jon grabbed the horse and, to its chagrin, effortlessly raised it above his head, the quadruped's legs flailing helplessly upside down.</p><p>More than one shocked expression filled the camp right then and there.</p><p>"So," Tormund said, whistling. "Now you can gain the magical strength and skills of others when you touch them, including their language so you can comprehend the spells unique to that tongue."</p><p>Then he roared in laughter. "My Crow friend," The Free Folk warrior said with a wide grin, "You may not have the pecker of a god but I have to admit that's impressive!"</p><p>As if a dam was broken by those words, everyone starting laughing around the campfire. Then, Dim Dalba got closer to the former Lord Commander and offered his outstretched hand. Jon took a deep breath and accepted it, his grip deliberately loosened so his new giant-sized strength wouldn't hurt him unnecessarily.</p><p>"Very well," He said. "We will help you retake your home, King Crow."</p><p>"Thank you," Jon replied with a nod, grateful despite the deception. "I promise that I will compensate you for your help somehow since this wasn't part of our original agreement."</p><p>"Good to hear," The Elder said, hope showing in his gaze. "Because more and more, I believe you were chosen by the Old Gods to lead us through the Long Night."</p><p>Jon sighed softly. "<em>You may be half right</em>," He thought. "<em>Now let's hope I won't let your people down by restraining myself.</em>"</p><p>And the known world as a result.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you enjoyed the chapter and if you did, please review. Next time, we are dealing with Sansa's arrival at Bear Island. I hope you like it when the time comes and if you want it sooner, well, you know the drill XD</p><p>Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. A Grand Entrance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey there. This chapter will be a bit shorter but I hope you enjoy it all the same. Have fun!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>Days later...</em> </strong>
</p><p><strong> <em>Mormont Keep: </em> </strong> <em> <strong>Bear Island.</strong> </em></p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>As Sansa Stark reached the gates of the seat of House Mormont, she had to put some effort into keeping her features calm. True, she enjoyed the looks of awe that the people of Bear Island were giving her when they saw her riding her grown direwolf but it wouldn't do to give off an arrogant impression in this situation. Still, she felt more powerful then she had in a long time and after spending the last few years as a distressed pawn, it was definitely a great feeling. So, she allowed herself a small smile as the door to the great hall of the castle opened.</p><p>Inside, the eldest daughter of the previous Warden of the North found Lady Lyanna Mormont on sitting on her desk, surrounded by guards and a Maester by her side.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>The Stark girl could tell the young Lady was trying to keep her expression under control, but she still caught a glimpse of wondrous delight in her eyes as she stared at the enormous, seemingly tamed wolf. The redhead smiled, then climbed down her companion before scratching the back of her ears as she always likes. Lady yipped at that, letting her tongue out in contentment.</p><p>"Good girl," She said in a pleased tone. "Now, sit."</p><p>Lady did just that, remaining on the spot beside her with obedience. And even then, she stood almost three heads taller than her human friend.</p><p>"Lady Mormont," Sansa greeted with a respectful nod.</p><p>"Welcome to Bear Island," her host said, forcing to move her eyes away from the giant wolf.</p><p>She glanced at Ser Davos, who Jon insisted accompanied her. Before she could begin exchanging pleasantries, however, the little Lady opened her mouth.</p><p>"I don't usually like small talk," She confessed. "But I must admit, I would kill to have a relationship with a mighty direwolf like the one you have with yours."</p><p>Sansa grinned, understanding completely while sensing an opportunity. "Well, Lady here has not been able to have her own litter yet but I intend to travel beyond the Wall with her one day so she can find a mate," She explained, liking the idea already even if she was just going with the flow. "If the situation permits, perhaps we can give you your own direwolf pup one day so that you can take care of it. I wasn't that much older than you are now when I first started to nurture my bond with Lady, after all," She added, caressing the neck of her loyal wolf slowly.</p><p>Lyanna's eyes widened, unable to hide her excitement. "Well, it was worth granting you an audience for that possibility alone," The leader of Bear Island responded with a grin of her own. "However, I am sure you didn't come all this way just to give me that offer. So, make your case, Sansa Stark, and let's see if we can reach an accord."</p><p>The following smile clearly reached her blue eyes.</p><p>"<em>This had a better start than I expected,</em>" She thought to herself. "<em>Now, time to secure their allegiance</em>."</p><p>And to justify her beloved brother's faith in her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, that's it for now. Hope you liked the entrance. Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Mental Messages</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just wanted to say that I edited this map of the North to highlight the current status of the opposing sides in the Stark-Bolton War. Since the Game of Thrones opening credits had the map/scaled module of the major players across Westeros, it seemed fitting to me. Also, I will have some important author notes at the end so please check them out.</p><p>I hope you enjoy this chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Sansa Stark stared at the horizon from the bow of the boat, watching as the light of dawn started to illuminate the land. Her loyal canine watched on beside her, her tongue tasting the sea air as the redhead scratched the spot behind her ears.</p><p>It has been three days since she had arrived at Bear Island. After Lady Lyanna renewed her oaths to House Stark, they spend the time gathering the bannermen from across the island and making sure they were well supplied and armed. Then, they had received a raven from Jon at Castle Black, informing them not only that the elders of the Free Folk army had pledged their support but also that the negotiations with the Iron Bank representative went very well. It was even agreed to immediately give Jon a considerable part of the loan that was originally going to Stannis Baratheon so that he could feed his growing army.</p><p>Given the route that Jon advised most of the Free Folk clans to travel, Lady Lyanna rallied her bannermen to a small fleet of four ships and headed southeast through the Bay of Ice, towards the outer edges of the Northern Wolfswood; just outside the domain of House Glover. According to her brother's letter, trying to secure the support of that large House would be of vital importance in the coming days but that for now, it was better to regroup their two forces as close as they could from the mainland to their new stronghold at Bear Island. Finally, the letter explained that her new god planned to rejoin with the rest of the army soon.</p><p>Sansa sighed as she remembered that part. Even though it has only been almost a week, she missed her beloved brother terribly. And after their forced separation due to chaotic dangers these past few years, she didn't feel comfortable being away from him for long, passionate incestual relationship or not.</p><p>"<em>Don't worry, you won't have to wait much longer</em>," A sudden voice said in her head.</p><p>Sansa almost fell overboard at the unexpected message, her expressions startled as Lady started barking in alarm.</p><p>"<em>Jon, is that you</em>?" She asked silently, as she reassured her direwolf with her fingers.</p><p>"<em>Yes</em>," he said, the mental response sounding now more distinctively like his actual voice. "<em>I literally just made a wish that would allow us to communicate mentally regardless of distance for a few minutes. Sorry, couldn't help but overhear your latest thoughts before I could get your attention</em>."</p><p>Sansa blushed slightly but then shrugged it off. "<em>It's fine. You already know how I feel about you. Also, you will be pleased to know that while Lady Lyanna was originally just going to pledge 62 bannermen from her small House once she renewed her oaths, I sweeten the pot enough to get her to pledge 20 more men to our cause."</em></p><p>"<em>Good</em>," Jon replied in an impressed tone<em>. </em>"<em>I told you that you could handle this. But I am curious, how exactly did you make the deal more appealing?</em>"</p><p>Sansa chuckled.<em> "You were right, she is a strong young Lady with a no-nonsense attitude. Reminds of Arya, actually. So, I offered her one of Lady's future pups when the time comes."</em></p><p>The redhead could feel amusement coming from their mental connection. <em>"Great idea. Well, done Sansa."</em></p><p>She sighed contently, pleased with his words of praise. "<em>Thanks.</em> <em>Now tell me, are any other important news aside from the contents of your letter</em>?"</p><p>"<em>Well, I am also accompanying Wun Wun on a special mission beyond the Wall</em>," Jon remarked as he beamed out his thoughts to her.</p><p>The redhead raised an eyebrow. "<em>You sent the strongest, most intimidating warrior we have away from our army? I assume you had an important reason for that</em>."</p><p>She could almost feel Jon nodding from the distance.</p><p>"<em>I did,</em>" He replied. "<em>Long story short, I used my new powers to learn the location of the last of the Giant tribes that chose not to follow the last King Beyond the Wall before the Battle of Castle Black. We are going to try to convince them to join us south of the Wall before the Night King's forces can hunt them down and turn the enormous beings into wights</em>."</p><p>Sansa shivered as she imagined a small army of wight giants fighting against them. "<em>Yeah, that would be bad. So, where was this refuge of the remaining giants?</em>"</p><p>There was a brief pause before Jon answered.</p><p>"<em>The North Grove</em>," He said solemnly.</p><p>Her eyes widened, as memories flooded back in. "<em>Wait what</em>? <em>I thought that place was just a legend from Old Nan's stories."</em></p><p>"<em>A legend like the giants themselves</em>?" Jon noted.</p><p>She tilted her head at that, considering.</p><p>"<em>Point taken</em>," The Stark girl acknowledged. "<em>So, what's the story with that</em>?"</p><p>"<em>A very long and complicated one, actually</em>," Jon said hesitantly. "<em>To be honest, I don't really have time to explain all I learned right now because we are about to make contact. Suffice to say for now that the North Grove is a place of raw magical power that served as a bastion of the Children of the Forest during the last Long Night. But by now, it has become a safe haven to more than just the scattered remnants of the giant tribes. That said, it won't last; not with the White Walker forces so increasingly powerful. So, I will try to convince them to join us in a mutually beneficial alliance before the full might of the Army of the Dead lays siege at that hidden magical forest.</em>"</p><p>Sansa paused as she took it all in. Then she nodded even though he couldn't see her do that.</p><p>"<em>Very well, I trust you</em>," She said. "<em>Just don't keep us waiting for too long. I suspect we will need your help to convince Lord Glover to support us.</em>"</p><p>"<em>Believe me, Sansa, if all goes well, we will see each other sooner than you think</em>," Her brother assured her "<em>Just stay safe, and if our forces get ambushed, focus on sending me a mental message immediately. Now that I granted you that ability it will be much easier to remain in touch. See you soon, sister. I love you,</em>" He thought, beaming his feelings towards her in the process.</p><p>Sansa felt that and her heart raced before she smiled warmly, sharing all the affection and passion for her beloved brother that she could visualize.</p><p>And the strain of missing him began to wane.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For those that aren't aware, the North Grove is a magical location introduced in the Game of Thrones Telltale video game. That said, I am going to be explaining away some things from it through fan theories and other conclusions because a) it appears a continuation of that plotline won't be released by now and b) by the time the content we did got ended, it was about a season a half before the current events of my story began, around halfway through S6. So, I am assuming some things must have changed in the time since. And since this is an AU, I will make some slight alterations to the game's plotline, given that it had so many alternate paths that changed through the choices your characters made.</p><p>Finally, while not strictly necessary, I would still recommend anyone that was a fan of the Game of Thrones show at some point to check out the Telltale game. It has some of the greatest things that made the earlier seasons so interesting, with even less plot armor among characters so you feel the tension rise even further. If you can't play it, know that there are many playlists of the cutscenes without commentary on youtube, depending on whether you want to see someone pick good or bad choices more often than not.</p><p>I hope you liked this new update. Until next time.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. The Hidden Bastion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you like the unusual developments I will put forth in this chapter and the ones immediately after this one. Have fun!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Jon Snow and his giant companion, Wun Wun, had been traveling for several days in the Lands Beyond the Wall. Thankfully, the new god knew exactly where he was going since he wished the precise direction of the ancient stronghold of the Children of the Forest known as the North Grove and deliberately took the route that had them avoid wight swarms the most.</p><p>He had to admit, however, that when he wished to know if there were any giant tribes left that still hadn't succumbed to the Army of the Dead, he did not expect the answer would lead him to a hidden, underground forest from the legends that Old Nan used to tell him.</p><p>"<em>And yet, here I am</em>," He thought. "<em>Then again, this isn't even the 5th strangest thing that had happened to me all month so perhaps I shouldn't be that surprised."</em></p><p>As the former Lord Commander climbed the top of a hill in order to better orient himself, he took a moment to look back towards the Wall and could see that the men of the Night's Watch were following the suggestions he made Edd and were cutting down tall trees from the haunted forest before loading them back to Castle Black. Nodding to himself, Jon was sure the value of those big trees would keep the Iron Bank happy.</p><p><em>"And if all goes well," </em> Jon said silently, <em>"They will also be pleased with the mammoth ivory that I promised them."</em></p><p>He thought back to his meeting with Tycho Nestoris. At first, the man had been far from pleased that Stannis had been defeated but the man was a businessman at the end of the day, and the offers both the Night Watch and he made definitely caught his attention. At the time, Jon had actually been surprised that the man was NOT that surprised when they proved to him he had been released from his oaths by dying and then being unexpectedly revived but the Iron Bank representative revealed that it was rare but not unheard of for the red priests of R'hllor to resurrect people occasionally.</p><p>So, once Tycho was convinced that there wouldn't be a conflict of interests now that Jon was released from his oaths, they started to discuss the possibilities of a loan to help him take back Winterfell. Before long, a question of collateral turned up but Jon already had prepared an answer for that. After previously making a wish that mildly altered the past by making it seem like Jon had discovered a large Mammoth graveyard not too far from the Wall, but in an isolated place during his time as a spy embedded among the Free Folk, Jon convinced Edd to let him claim the valuable ivory for his own important negotiations with the Iron Bank so that he could more easily reclaim Winterfell and then come to their aid in more ways than one. He had to word his wish in such a way that part of the ivory would be for Sansa's economic benefit for it to work but it was all worth it when Jon saw the hungry look on Nestoris' face. </p><p>"This will be twice as valuable as the ivory of simple elephants for our wealthy customers," He had said with delight in his tone.</p><p>With that, they shook on it, and after a day's work, they brought the valuable tusks from the mammoth cemetery back to Castle Black, where the Night's Watch would help transport it to East Watch by the Sea and to the big ship of the Iron Bank Representative. Before long, they officially signed their initial contract, and the man said the Iron Bank was always pleased to be of service, before wishing him the very best of luck in his quest to retake the North and granting him a large chunk of the immense amount of gold that was originally going to go to Stannis, while the rest stayed with the Night's Watch.</p><p>Wun Wun snapped Jon out of his thoughts when he pointed at nearby cave, spotting a sentinel in the distance. The new god blinked rapidly as he tried to focus and then followed the mighty giant.</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Jon raised an eyebrow when he got closer to the entrance, his eyes looking down. Besides him, Wun Wun growled at the sight. There were at least a few hundred wights crushed, burned, and this time, very dead, all around them.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"Looks like your people have managed to fend off their attacks thus far," Jon said, looking up at his enormous friend.</p><p>Wun Wun nodded slowly. "<strong><span class="u">Giants do not fall easily, Snow</span></strong>," He replied in the old tongue, which the former Lord Commander now fully understood. "<strong><span class="u">An icy death may claim us yet, but the Night King will have to work for it.</span></strong>"</p><p>"<strong><span class="u">I don't doubt it,</span></strong>" The ascended human responded back, using his own guttural tongue so the 14 feet tall being would understand better. "<strong><span class="u">Now let's do our best to help save your people, friend.</span></strong>"</p><p>The giant veteran of the battles of Castle Black and Hardhome grunted, then walked straight ahead with his long legs, his smaller companion close behind. As they both approached the entrance, however, Jon's eyes widened in surprise. And it wasn't because the guardian that greeted them at the entrance was not a giant.</p><p>It was because he recognized him.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"I don't believe it," Jon said, grinning despite his surprise. "Gared Tuttle, is that you?"</p><p>"Jon!" The former squire to the Lord of House Forrester said, his eyes widened as well. "You actually came!"</p><p>The new god blinked at that.</p><p>"<em>It seems I wasn't as specific with my information gathering wish about the North Grove as I could have been,</em>" He thought.</p><p>Before he could ask what the young man meant, however, he gestured to follow him inside the cave. "Come on you two, the rest of the North Grove Council is waiting."</p><p>Wun Wun and Jon exchanged a glance, then shrugged, realizing the answers would be revealed in time and at least they didn't face hostility while entering their stronghold. The three of them walked for a few minutes as the tunnel lead them further underground. Then, they saw a vast cavern just ahead that was, curiously, capable of supporting trees without direct access to sunlight. Jon figured the old magic that saturated the air had something to do with that, as well as the illumination. Then he raised an eyebrow, noticing the village within also had some regular-sized Free Folk and a large bear as white a snow.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>By the time he reached the settlement itself, he started to see the giants he knew would be inside, scattered around the large and unusually fertile area. There were well over a two hundred of them, in fact, which seemed to please Wun Wun when he glanced around to look at him. And farther ahead, he couldn't contain his grin when he saw numerous living mammoths eating grass and tree bark in their corner of the hidden forest; his mind already thinking of how useful those enormous pack animals might be for both the transportation of overland cargo and for warfare when employed with better tactics, not to mention some armor.</p><p>Everyone was looking at Jon with surprise and curiosity in their expressions, which in turn made the new god wonder how they came to expect him. Eventually, they were led to a large hut that had a rooftop tall enough to support the height of giants. But before he could enter, he saw an intriguing creature crouched by the side of the building. Jon blinked, realizing he had never seen the like before, despite everything he had come across beyond the Wall so far.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>The inhuman woman slowly stood up and, to his confusion, she started to tear up when she looked at him. And yet he recognized her expression: one of being granted a final measure of hope after feeling lost for a long time. Then, she composed herself and bowed her head in respect.</p><p>"Nice to meet you, Jon Snow," She said in greeting, her voice naturally melodious yet clearly somber at the moment. "My name is Spring. The Three-eyed Raven, your brother Bran's Greenseer mentor, had a vision about you on the day he died and that pushed him to send me to the North Grove to await your arrival. You see, after the death of my twin sister's, Leaf, and the others at the hidden cave I am now...the last of the Children of the Forest," She whispered sorrowfully. "And we have much to discuss."</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As I said previously, while I am basing this part of the story on the events of the Game of Thrones Telltale game, I am also making some modification to the storyline and characters that spawned from that game due to the simple fact that a sequel has yet to be released and my branch started chronologically after the first part concluded.</p><p>Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it since this chapter is kind of crucial in setting up the events that highlight the name of this third story arc. And if you are curious for more content quickly, well, you know the drill :D</p><p>Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Supernatural Introductions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay, first of all, thanks for all the comments, questions, and well wishes so far. They have all been read and replied to and in the case of suggestions, analyzed somewhat. Seriously, the reception has been better than expected and I am grateful for that.</p><p>Now, I am going to try to rest to see if start feeling better from my covid but in the meantime, I wanted to leave you with another chapter to enjoy. Have fun exploring the North Grove :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>A few minutes after that proclamation, Jon Snow and Wun Wun had entered the tallest hut of the village that served as the meeting point between the leaders of the North Grove. In the center of the building, a fiery hearth blazed in an effort to keep the occupants warm. Not that it was as necessary as one might think, however, since Jon realized the old magic in this forest must also be responsible for keeping the climate quite comfortable, despite being in the lands beyond the Wall, with Winter closer than ever in a decade.</p><p>"<em>Still, if waves of wights keep assaulting this place, it makes tactical sense to keep fires constantly burning,</em>" He thought silently.</p><p>Once inside, Jon looked around and saw the rest of the leaders standing around the fire, some with their arms crossed while staring at him but all clearly curious. Gared Tuttle, the promising former squire Jon had befriending shortly after escaping Mance's army, who had deserted the Night's Watch after his self-defense pleas were ignored by Lord Commander Thorne and sentenced to death, took a step forward and began the introductions.</p><p>"Everyone," He began. "This is Jon Snow. I met him while still serving at Castle Black and he is one of the best men I ever met. Definitely the most reasonable and capable member of the Night's Watch too," The young man added. "He is here as the Three-eyed Raven foresaw."</p><p>Then he started gesturing at the figures within the hut, starting with a wary-looking grown man that had the lower jaw of a bear hanging around his neck.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"This is Josera Snow," Gared explained. "He is our resident warg and for years, he has been one of the primary guardians of the North Grove, before we joined forces with the Giants and gave them sanctuary. Along with his sister Elsara Snow, that is," He added as he nodded in her direction.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"She a powerful blood magic sorceress," The former squire assured him. "Without her ability to channel the ancient power of the North Grove to sever the unnatural bonds the White Walkers have forced on the dead in other to reanimate them as their thralls, making them fall fully dead several dozen at a time, it's possible that just half of us or less would have survived by now."</p><p>Jon raised an eyebrow, impressed at their powers and feats, and noting their Snow surname must imply at least one of their parents was probably a Northern noble. Then it hit him.</p><p>"<em>So that is what Gared had meant when he told me back at Castle Black that he wanted to still serve House Forrester,</em>" Jon thought silently, his eyed slightly widened. "<em>They must be the late Lord Gregor Forrester's bastards, in which case, he probably told his squire to protect his children before he died at the Red Wedding.</em>"</p><p>Still, he decided to keep that theory to himself for the time being and just nodded in respect as he greeted them. After that, Gared continued with the introductions.</p><p>"You already met Spring," Gared noted as they looked at the female Child of the Forest. "She hasn't been here long but her powers have been vital to accelerate the growth of the vegetation in the North Grove, ensuring the mammoths and horses won't go hungry. Or us by that matter, with all the fruit," He added.</p><p>Then, Gared directed Jon's attention to the most intimidating figure in the room, a 12 feet tall woman clad in armor made of thick, hardened fur and the bones of beasts she had probably hunted herself. The new god examined her, impressed at the unusual level of detail in her armor for giant standards and the enormous femur she carved into an ax; thinking the late Lord of Bones would get jealous at the sight. Besides, she was the first female giant he had seen up close and also the first redhead he had noticed among them. Nearby, Wun Wun pounded his chest once before bowing his head towards her with respect.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"That," Gared said slowly, "Is Magash Char, the first cousin of Mag the Mighty and his only remaining relative. After the death of the first king to unify the giants in a long time along with Mance Rayder, she has become something of a Chieftain to the remaining giants that sought sanctuary at the North Grove along with their elderly and youths when Stannis' army attacked."</p><p>Staring at the imposing sight that was her gigantic, armored figure along with the intense determination that emanated from her body language, Jon could certainly see why. Finally, Tuttle turned to look towards a newcomer to the hut that had just arrived. And Jon had to admit, she was certainly one of the most beautiful Free Folk women he had ever seen.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Jon stared for a moment, well aware that it had been a long time since he had seen a sight so lovely in the lands beyond the Wall.</p><p>"And last but not least," The former squire remarked. "Is Val, the sister of Mance Rayder's deceased wife. She led the large force of skilled spearwife guards that Mance had kept in reserve all the way to the North Grove once it was clear the sudden attack from Stannis calvary was going to overwhelm his army. Before long they followed the Giants all the way to this sanctuary from their old stories and her loyal guards have taken to call her their Princess, for what it's worth."</p><p>The leaders took a moment to stare at the former Lord Commander as he took their names and faces to memory. Before long, he broke the silence.</p><p>"It is an honor to meet you all," The ascended human said sincerely. "And as you said, we have much to discuss. Starting with how we are going to endure the oncoming storm."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Since the book character that is known as Val ultimately didn't show up on the TV show, I took the liberty of choosing an actress that fit most of her physical description, which happened to be quite lovely in the books. I ended up picking Katheryn Winnick, especially due to her amazing role in the R-rated show known as Vikings. And since the timeline of the show is an alternate universe to the books for all intents and purposes, there were some changes in this reality that lead to her traveling to the North Grove after Stannis' attack. Only that before the point of divergence where Jon gained his godly powers, he had no means to find out about the Grove, nor the opportunity to travel there once he realized preventing the rest of the giants from becoming wights by letting them go south of the Wall was a good idea/strategy.</p><p>So, if you must ratialize it through this line of thoughts, assume that without Jon's new god intervention she would have been overwhelmed along with her forces and the remaining Giants by episode 7x05 at the latest, shortly before the Wight hunt in 7x06 since the North Grove would have been the last major stronghold beyond the Wall for the Night King to conquer by that point.</p><p>As for the cousin of Mag the Mighty, I ended up making her up as I needed a giant leader for what came next and since the so-called Giant King was said to be the last direct descendant from his legendary line that dated back from before the First Men arrived in Westeros, I had to at least interpret any potential relative as a cousin at most instead of a sibling or son, and from the female line at that in order to justify Mance's previous comment that Mag was the last of his specific line (read, male giant line). And aside from her, Spring is my only other OC, with the magic-wielding bastards being from the Telltale Game of Thrones storyline.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. A Gift from the Three-eyed Raven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Woke up from my nap feeling better, symptom-wise, so here is the next chapter. Also a bit on the short side, as several updates on arc 3 will be, but they shall also have the important job of laying the seeds of future pay-offs further down the line. Like this one, for example.</p><p>Hope you like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>A few minutes after the introductions were done, Jon nodded his head; getting caught up with Gared Tuttle's explanation that confirmed his suspicions about the siblings with magical powers being bastard children of Lord Gregor Forrester. Then he nodded at his fellow former brother of the Night's Watch, feeling empathy for his position.</p><p>"I can't say I would have approved of your secret mission to abandon the Night Watch for the sake of serving the interests of House Forrester in the lands beyond the Wall back when we last saw each other," Jon admitted. "But after coming to realize the Night Watch will need to adapt and ally with the realms of men in order to survive the onslaught of the Army of the Dead, I am can safely say that I am glad you did. The forces you have gathered here in the North Grove may not be that large compared to the armies south of the Wall but they are certainly of a...strong constitution."</p><p>Magash Char gave him a fierce smirk at that but said nothing, while Gared nodded in acknowledgment.</p><p>"Now," The new god went on, "would anyone please explain to me what exactly did this greenseer everyone is talking about foresaw about me?"</p><p>Spring took a step forward and grabbed the large satchel made of tree bark and fibers that was hanging around her shoulder.</p><p>"He told me..." The female child of the forest began, "that your resurrection was the work of a god powerful beyond even his long and ancient comprehension. Moreover, that this god decided to empower you, turning you into the equivalent of a living old god fused with the mortal flesh so that you could become our champion during the next Long Night. He said that, while your brother Bran will certainly have a vital role to play, you are the clearest hope of victory the living will have against the Army of the Dead. He told me to help guide you with your new powers and serve you any way I could. And...he told me to give you this," She added, passing him over the large bag.</p><p>Jon raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"<em>So much for my plans to keep my godly status a complete secret from anyone outside my family</em>," He thought to himself before accepting the satchel in his hands. "<em>Although I suppose I might be able to get them to focus mostly on the word champion</em>."</p><p>When he opened it, however, the former Lord Commander couldn't help but gasp when he recognize just <strong>which</strong> sword he was holding in his hands, from the illustrations on old books he had read.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"This is <em>Dark Sister</em>," Jon breathed. "One of the ancestral Valyrian steel blades of House Targaryen. It has been presumed lost for decades. How did Bran's mentor even get his hands on this?"</p><p>Spring grinned lightly at that, the first time he had noticed her smile since they met.</p><p>"The Three-eyed Raven had a long and exciting life before being trained by his own predecessor," She replied. "And he had been known by many names and titles even before he made it to the cave. Some knew him as the half-Targaryen/half-blood of the First Men bastard of the Riverlands, some knew him as the Hand of the King that had a thousand eyes and one; others knew him in his later years as the albino, sorcerer Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. But earlier on, he was known as Lord Bloodraven one of the so-called Great Bastards that were legitimized by Aegon IV on his deathbed. And before being sent to the Wall, he had claimed the right to wield <em>Dark Sister</em>."</p><p>"Originally," Spring went on, "The sword was supposed to be returned to his family after his death but in becoming a Greenseer and joining the Weirwood root network, his own lifespan extended considerably, to the point Bloodraven ended up outliving the hold of the Targaryen dynasty on Westeros. But he said that a promise is a promise and, after ensuring Bran could escape from the Night King's assault on our cave, he sent me to the North Grove to expect your arrival and told me to deliver the ancestral blade to you."</p><p>Jon blinked at that last bit of the explanation. "What did he meant by "a promise is a promise?"</p><p>The female child of the forest shrugged. "I don't really know but he said Bran would have the answer when next you meet. I suggest you ask then."</p><p>Jon frowned at that but nodded, opting to be patient. Thus, he decided to go straight to the point and ask the million golden dragon question.</p><p>"So," He said, looking at the leaders before him. "Who wants to go south of the Wall?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We never really got much of the backstory of the Three-Eyed Raven in the show so the explanations from Spring here actually come from the books.</p><p>As for Dark Sister, the royal heirloom was in Bloodraven's hands when he went to the Wall, according to the author's tweets/interviews. It just got lost when he disappeared and was presumed dead. This chapter has my headcanon explanation as to why he didn't send it back to his family: the agreement was for him to keep it until he died but Aegon V didn't realize the sorcerer was going to live to be over a century old and past the time of the dynasty.</p><p>But as he saw his demise approaching in Season 6 episode 5, conveniently, a vision leads him to realize a secret Targaryen will be close by soon enough; thereby giving him a chance to fulfill that last promise to his family.</p><p>Regardless, the ancient Valyrian Steel blade was made famous by Visenya Targaryen, the legendary sister-wife of Aegon the Conqueror and a renowned female warrior so, three guesses as to who Jon is going to give that sword to :D</p><p>Hope you have enjoyed the developments I have shown you in today's chapters. I hope to read your thoughts on the matter soon and until next time.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Terms of Alliance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello there! A new day, a new chapter. I hope you enjoy it! And if you did, well, you know the drill for a faster update :D</p><p>Have fun!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After more than an hour of long, drawn-out discussions, Jon Snow exited the tent. He had left the leaders of the North Grove Council to discuss the offers he had made them in private, along with the rights and obligations that will be expected of either of them should they accept their social contract. They assured him it would only take a few more minutes to come to a decision and in the meantime, he was accompanied outside by Spring, the only one among their number that lacked followers in the North Grove.</p><p>They stayed silent for a while as they waited, with Jon's attention mainly focused on the mammoths and giants moving around the hidden woods. However, a realization came to Jon soon enough and he turned to look at Spring.</p><p>"You saw my brother at that cave," He asked. "How was he, before he had to escape?"</p><p>The female child of the forest took a moment to consider his question. "Bran showed...much potential as a Greenseer," She replied. "Sometimes too much, I think, when it came to the opinion of the Three-Eyed Raven."</p><p>The new god raised an eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"</p><p>The inhuman woman bit her bottom lip, then answer. "He had a way of making his voice echo into the past when connecting to the Weirwood network, which hadn't been done since the late Dawn Age, as far as I know. That could be..very dangerous, depending on the moment in time a greenseer would be visiting when trying to make his voice heard across the sands of time," She admitted. </p><p>"I see," Jon said slowly, in a ponderous tone. </p><p>They said nothing for a long moment after that, their backs turned to the tent as the muffled voices from within continued in their deliberations. In the end, though, Jon stared at the curious and magical creature and his curiosity got the best of him.</p><p>"So, what is your story?"</p><p>Spring froze for a second at his words, seemingly taken aback by the question. Then, she turned to look at him, confusion in her gaze. "I...have no idea where to start," She confessed.</p><p>"The beginning is usually a good place," The former Lord Commander said. "You don't have to answer right now if you don't have to, of course, it's just that I like to take the time to learn more about the people that will be by my side when times are difficult. With the next Long Night approaching, that seems even more important now."</p><p>"I see what you mean," The female child of the forest said in a, suddenly, overwhelmed tone. "I am just having a hard time summarizing a story over 8,000 years in the making."</p><p>Jon's eyes widened at that. "You were born during the Age of Heroes?!" He asked in disbelief. "I didn't know the Children of the Forest could live that long!" </p><p>Spring had a look of long-suffering on her face, which subdued his more emotional reaction.</p><p>"We normally can't," She responded, detachedly. "The gods may have given us long lives to go with our small numbers but never as long as that...until my two sisters, Leaf and Autumn, and I angered the Old Gods and got cursed as a result."</p><p>Jon looked at the sole survivor of her race with pity. He didn't know the whole story but something about her solemn bearing and the way she spoke gave him the feeling that she had already suffered for her crimes time and time again in all these centuries. </p><p>Before he could put his theory to the test by asking what she meant by that, exactly, Gared Tuttle called him back into the tent. He gave her a brief look that indicated they would continue this later and headed back inside. When he did, however, he blinked when he saw the spearwife that was introduced to him as Val, playing with the wolf pommel of <em>Longclaw</em>.</p><p>He stared at her mischievous expression when she turned back to him, unsure of what to make of it. "Have you been trying to steal my Valyrian Steel blade?" Jon ended up asking.</p><p>“Why not?" The gorgeous blonde asked in an innocent tone. "You have two now, and if every woman had some Valyrian Steel to fall back on, then men would be much sweeter. Even champions of the Old Gods."</p><p>Before he could come up with a reply, however, the blonde beauty sheathed <em>Longclaw</em> again and handed it over instead of putting it back on the table he had placed it along with <em>Dark Sister. </em>Jon stared at her for a moment, trying to gauge her emotions, then took the rare sword back from her. Before she turned around, Jon could have sworn she was just in the process of smiling at him.  </p><p>Jon shook his head in an attempt to clear it, then realized they were waiting for him to speak. Taking a deep breath, he began.</p><p>"Very well then," He said, focusing his attention on Elsera, Josera, and Gared first, "let's go over this one last time to make sure there are no disagreements. You three want to go south and rush to the aid of House Forrester in their conflict with the Bolton-aligned House Whitehill. In exchange for the aid of my forces in breaking the Siege of Ironrath that has been going on for months, you agree that you will try your hardest to convince your half-sibling Lord to renew his oath of loyalty to House Stark, to back us up against the Boltons and to provide your magical services to aid the cause of House Stark when need be. Are we in accord?"</p><p>The three of them replied with an aye. "Help us save our family from the enemies that would see it destroyed and we will follow you," Josera Snow declared.</p><p>"To the Long Night and beyond," His sister added.</p><p>Gared said nothing else but the former brother of the Night's Watch spoke plenty with his actions as he knelt, which made Jon feel slightly uncomfortable but tried not to show it as it wasn't the time for that. Instead, he gestured at the loyal squire to rise and went on to shake their hands.</p><p>"Then we have a deal," The new god proclaimed. "I will see to it that the very next campaign of my army involves an attack on the Whitehill forces that have been besieging your family's ancestral seat. Then maybe, after we have fully joined forces with House Forrester and gained access to their vast Ironwood supplies, will their immediate liege lord of House Glover be persuaded to renew his support to our cause. After all, it will look very, very bad on him if we win back Winterfell with the help of one of his vassal Houses but he himself remains neutral like I suspect he is currently planning to stay."</p><p>The sorcerers looked pleased with his current priorities. Josera even smirked, likely imagining an embarrassing scene in the future of Lord Glover should he fail to act. Jon turned then to look at Val, the beautiful spearwife staring at him with keen eyes.</p><p>"As for you," He began, "You say you want to lead your army of over 500 Spearwives to the Free Folk Camps and claim the mantle of leader that has been left vacant after Mance Rayder, your brother-in-law, died. Assuming you succeed, you pledge to support House Stark in the battles to come in exchange for land to settle for your people and supplies of food in the coming winter. Is there anything you would like to add?"</p><p>Val nodded in agreement. "I imagine that once House Stark reclaims their seat and kingship over the North it could be...problematic to acknowledge me as Queen Beyond the Wall and not just because we would be south of the Wall by then. That said, we Free Folk are a very proud lot so, trying to make us feel lesser is not the way to keep our alliance intact. And since even before the Battle of Castle Black, many of them across the clans and tribes had been calling me their princess, even if it was partially in jest, I think keeping that title would please them in this time of transition while we try to learn how to work together. And, to be honest, I have grown to like to hear my name being spoken that way by my spearwives in the months I have been leading my warrior women against the constant walking dead raids on our sanctuary."</p><p>Jon Snow scratched his chin for a few moments, debating the benefits and problems of such an open acknowledgment. In the end, however, he nodded. "It's a deal then. Just please, if you face opposition when you try to convince the elders to back you up, try to keep your ascension as bloodless as possible, will you? We have enough problems as it is without having to weaken some of our strength through infighting."</p><p>"Fair enough," The golden-haired warrioress replied simply with a nod.</p><p>Her eyes were beaming somewhat, however, when the former Lord Commander turned to the giant chieftess, her large head almost touching the rooftop.</p><p>"Magash Char," He said slowly, "are you sure you wish to do that?"</p><p>The giantess leader was silent for a long moment as if calculating Jon's newfound powers with her senses. Then, she gave him a very deliberate nod.</p><p>"<span class="u"><strong>If Mance Rayder had fully delivered on the promises he made to my cousin, I would have still said no,</strong></span>" She replied in the Old Tongue. "<strong><span class="u">If the White Walkers were not trying to hunt us to extinction to increase their strength, I would scoff at the idea and ripped the head off whoever suggested it. But there are just too few of us left, Jon Snow, and we won't be able to hold off the North Grove forever,</span></strong>" The chieftess admitted. "<span class="u"><strong>So, if you vow to give us more bountiful lands to recover our numbers and come to our aid when we needed, well,</strong></span>" The giant paused for a second but then, surprised everyone present by actually going through with it when she placed her huge femur ax on his feet and knelt, "<strong><span class="u">then the giants and mammoths under my command will pledge themselves to House Stark of Winterfell, from this day until our last day. I swear it by all the Old Gods.</span></strong>"</p><p>There was a deep moment of absolute silence as a giant leader swore fealty to a human for the first time in recorded history. Jon took a deep breath, taking a second to understand the magnitude of the situation. Then, he responded in the Old Tongue as well to make sure she understood all his words. "<strong><span class="u">I swear to honor what we have agreed to, to try my utmost to keep the peace between our other bannermen and your people and to never ask all the giants to fight in the same battle, in order to ensure your continued survival. Rise Magash Char, a valued champion of House Stark.</span></strong>"</p><p>The tall woman did exactly that and pounded her fist once. Before long, Spring broke the silence.</p><p>"Then it's settled," The female child of the forest declared. "Now we just need to wait for the giant party that headed out with dragonglass spears to hunt down the lone White Walker that lead the last wight assault to return and then we will be ready to move out. As for our method of transportation, the Three-eyed Raven told me to bring you to the nearby weirwood tree once you arrived so that you would get some form of inspiration on the matter, whatever that meant."</p><p>Jon raised an eyebrow, realizing that this must mean that before his death, the greenseer foresaw the godly trick he was planning to pull after he learned about the North Grove. Before he could give a response, however, he felt the heavy pounding of steps moving through the entrance of the tunnel. His eyes widened, realizing the footsteps were too heavy to be the work of giants. Then he heard a powerful roar but somehow, it didn't felt threatening, more like an...insistent invitation. Spring actually smirked at his reaction.</p><p>"But first, I believe there is a mighty creature that has been waiting for you since the Battle of Hardhome," She announced. "And I wouldn't keep her waiting any longer if I were you."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Any guesses as to what exactly was responsible for that roar? :D</p><p>Regardless, I hope you like it. And in case it wasn't clear, yeah, I am doing something different with the Children of the Forest to explain how Leaf (and by extension her OC sisters) managed to live over 8,000 years of age, given that Leaf created the Night King. I got some plans I suspect you'll find...intriguing.</p><p>But that's a story for another arc. For, now, I hope you had fun with this and if so, I would love to read your highlights. Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. An Ice Dragon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, here is the next chapter by popular demand :D</p><p>I hope you like it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Jon Snow's jaw dropped to the ground, staring at the blue dragon at the entrance of the North Grove tunnel. He shook his head almost imperceptibly as it got closer, possibilities battling inside his mind at lightning speed.</p><p>"What...when...how...?" He babbled, shocked to the core.</p><p>The resident Child of the Forest stood to his right and he was pretty sure she was smirking fondly; he just didn't bother to check because he couldn't take his eyes off the wondrous creature.</p><p>"That," Spring began, "is an Ice Dragon. Unlike the fire dragons from Valyria, they didn't go extinct a century and a half ago, although their numbers have never been high to begin with. While there have been sightings of them every now and then across the Shivering Sea, they prefer the climate to the far north of the Lands of Always Winter so they are rarely seen this close to the Wall."</p><p>"Then what is it doing here?" The former Lord Commander asked.</p><p>There was a pause, followed by a reply he did not expect.</p><p>"She was waiting for you," The supernatural woman assured him.</p><p>"Wait, what?" Jon asked, turning to look at her.</p><p>The female Child of the Forest joined her hands together, her fingers interlocking.</p><p>"You may not know this but, occasionally, Children of the Forest can mentally communicate with animals. That holds especially true for animals that have a spark of magic within them, such as dragons," She explained. "And that was how I learned from her that she has been waiting for you ever since she arrived at the North Grove."</p><p>"Why?" The Bastard of Winterfell asked slowly as if chewing the word to taste it better.</p><p>"Turns out, the White Walkers have been trying to dominate Ice Dragons for a while now, in order to get them past the Wall," Spring remarked. "However, unlike their other undead slaves, they couldn't just kill the mighty beasts before raising them because Ice Dragons immediately melt after they die. Between that and the fact they are highly resistant to ice magic like the walkers themselves are, the Night King and his lieutenants have been forced to rely on...cruder methods than they would like to get them to cooperate."</p><p>"However," She went on, "Their efforts have failed so far since Ice Dragons have a strong, strong aversion to allowing anyone to mount them against their will. That's why when you managed to kill that White Walker that was keeping her restrained during the Battle of Hardhome, she immediately took off, taking advantage of the fact that the wights that have been containing her suddenly dropped dead after the necromancer that raised them was destroyed."</p><p>Jon nodded as he tried to took in everything. Then his eyes widened.</p><p>"Wait, once a White Walker is killed then every wight they personally raised returns to the grave?" He asked in surprise.</p><p>The Child of the Forest looked at him, then nodded. "Yes," She said simply.</p><p>The new god scratched his chin, contemplating the possibilities from this important revelation. Then he broke the silence after a bit. "But what brought this dragon here, specifically?"</p><p>"The Three-eyed Raven," Spring declared. "While the Ice dragon was trying to flee the Army of the Dead, she got close to his sanctuary, and, by then, he had already received the intense visions that erupted after your resurrection. So, he used his own powers to share part of those visions with her, showed her that you were the one that freed her, and tapped into her desire for retribution against the White Walkers. It took a bit of time that he could have used to attempt a form of escape instead, and he had to reveal the spark of godhood you now possess to convince her but in the end, she has agreed to let you ride her against your enemies."</p><p>Jon's jaw dropped once more, the eyes of the blue dragon examinating him intensely. Before long, however, she grinned, a wide row of razor-sharp teeth appearing in front of him. Then she lowered herself on the ground with her shoulder pointing towards him.</p><p>The invitation was clear but Jon hesitated for a moment, still not over his shock that this was actually happening. In the end, though, he realized it wouldn't be smart to keep a great dragon waiting so he approached carefully. When he was finally in front of the female dragon, she extended her neck. Then, taking a deep breath, Jon petted a dragon for the first time in his life.</p><p>Her scales were cold; dangerously cold, in fact. This is why he took a page from the cover story he used back in the Free Folk camp and made a wish that made him absorb the Ice Dragon's magical resistance to cold.</p><p>Jon grinned, delighted as he felt better immediately. "<em>It seems I won't have to freeze my balls off any longer.</em>" He thought to himself.</p><p>He could tell the Giants and the Free Folk were staring at him in awe as he continued to caress the neck of the mighty dragon. Even the giants that had been on the White Walker hunt had returned in time to look, their dragonglass spears dropping to the ground in their shock. And it was at that moment that the new god knew for sure: he won't have any trouble securing their loyalty even without using his new powers to affect their minds directly.</p><p>That pleased him.</p><p>"You and I are going to be great friends," Jon told the female dragon with a big smile.</p><p>Her smirk widened at that but she made no sound. So, he looked back at the forces that had rallied within the North Grove and focused on Spring.</p><p>"Everyone, follow me to the Weirwood tree," He told her. "I think I know what the greenseer meant when he asked you to show it to me. Let's get south of the Wall."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you enjoyed the draconic development! Just so we are clear, I am basing some of the characteristics of the Ice Dragons from the ones on the short story of the same name that the author of A Song of Ice and Fire also wrote, such as the fact they melt when they die. They are actually a thing on the far north of the Planetos, according to some Maesters, just remarkably elusive, so sightings are rare.</p><p>Finally, I used the image of Saphira from the Eragon movie due to her colors, as I originally foreshadowed in the Faceless Men chapter. Know, however, that I may end up using images of other dragons in the future, as I have had a hard time finding enough images of Saphira alone to my liking.</p><p>Anyway, thanks for all the support and I hope you enjoy the coming chapters now that we are approaching the final act of Arc Three. Leave a comment if anything caught your attention and until next time guys, see ya!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Surprises Back at Camp</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just wanted to clarify that I added the location of the seats of House Forrester (Ironrath) and House Whitehill (Highpoint) from the Telltale games to the map below since they will be important in the chapters to come. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter and until next time.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Sansa Stark was in the middle of a meeting in the largest tent of their army's camp; with Ser Davos, Tormund, and the red priestess Melisandre by her side. In front of them was Lady Lyanna of House Mormont, with Captain Owen, the most experienced naval commander of Bear Island, by her side.</p><p>"By now, House Glover must have been made aware of our army's presence so close to their border," The island ruler stated. "Have we received any messengers from their House or their immediate vassals?"</p><p>"Not yet, My Lady," Ser Davos replied. "It appears they are waiting for us to make the first move. As for their most powerful vassals, most of them are preoccupied with the Siege of Ironrath, fighting to determine who will have control over the vast Ironwood resources of the northern Wolfwood. According to the information we have gathered from refugees fleeing the conflict, it appears Ramsey Bolton ordered House Glover to let House Forrester and House Whitehill fight it out and let the, and I am quoting him here, "strongest House win."</p><p>Lady Lyanna frowned. "The Boltons have been backing House Whitehill immensely since the Red Wedding, ever since their far-flung bannermen decided to keep supporting them over the Starks during their treachery." She remarked. "Why would Ramsey tolerate the open rebellion from the Forresters and allow this siege to drain the strength of his allies the longer it lasts?"</p><p>Sansa laughed without humor. "Because carnage delights him," She said darkly. "Besides, their losses incurred during the conflict would ensure the Whitehills don't get delusions of grandeur after rising through the Bolton aligned Houses so quickly and manage to claim a lot of resources by conquest."</p><p>The young but fierce Lady stared at her redheaded liege and nodded slowly, bowing to her better understanding of the sadistic Bastard of the Dreadfort. Then she gestured at Captain Owen and he opened the map of the northern region that surrounded their camp he was carrying in his hands.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"We shouldn't keep Lord Glover waiting much longer for an official message," the Lady of Bear Island said. "He commands the largest army in the Wolfswood region and would be instrumental in securing the support of his vassal Houses. However, he ended up recovering Deepwood Motte from the Ironborn with the help of the Boltons so, I am afraid he may be hesitant to answer the call."</p><p>"Agreed," Ser Davos said. "We will probably have to give him some incentive to support us."</p><p>"Hmm," Sansa hummed in deep thought as she scanned the map. "If he forgets where he placed his oaths, I suppose we could go aid our besieged loyalists of House Forrester. Then, Lord Glover would probably realize that our future reward to the Lord of Ironrath might be...inconvenient for him if he remains neutral."</p><p>There was a long pause at the replacement implications before Lady Lyanna gave her a fierce smirk. "That should remind the Houses of the North what happens if they break faith with the Starks, should it come to that. I approve, my Lady."</p><p>Sansa returned the smirk, liking the fact she has been getting along with her vassal even better than expected despite Jon not being around this past week. Before she could reply, however, one of the bannermen soldiers of Bear Island entered the tent.</p><p>"Excuse the interruption My Ladies," He said as he hurriedly bowed. "But a raven arrived with a message for you."</p><p>Melisandre of Asshai blinked rapidly. "We are not camping in a castle at the moment," The Red Priestess remarked with curiosity in her tone. "How exactly would a messenger raven have found us?"</p><p>"Well," The man said slowly as he handed over the rough parchment, "One of the wildlings used the word "skinchanger" when looking at the raven's pale white eyes if that helps."</p><p>Tormund's glared at the soldier in discontent at the offensive word being used to describe his people but before he could say anything Sansa's eyes widened in realization. "That must be a message from a warg," She said. "Jon met a few of them beyond the wall. Those people possess the magical ability to temporarily get inside the minds of animals. That must be how the raven found us despite not knowing of any keep in this area."</p><p>There was a moment of silence as the people present stared at the message that was delivered to them with magical means before the young Lady of Bear Island gave it to her liege.</p><p>"Then this message is probably for you," She said.</p><p>Sansa nodded in agreement and opened the sheet of paper before she started to read.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"Lady Stark," Sansa read aloud, "We have never met but I am writing this letter to you on behalf of your brother Jon Snow. As I am sure you must have realized by now based on what your brother has told you, I used my warging abilities to guide the raven I sent to your camp with this message. Apologies if that...supernatural action frightened some of your men but it was the fastest way I could think of to send word of recent events, given that last I heard none of you were staying in a castle."</p><p>The redhead paused for a moment and looked around, realizing she had been right in her earlier assessment as the others stared at the letter with increasing interest.</p><p>"At any rate," She went on, "I am writing this letter to let you know that Jon Snow managed to make his way to the North Grove with the giant Wun Wun and succeeded and convincing our forces and those of the gathered giants to join his cause..."</p><p>"Wait, the North Grove?!" Lyanna Mormont interrupted with wide eyes. "That place beyond the Wall is actually real?"</p><p>"And Giants?!" Owen, her sworn Captain, said in shock. "As in, many of them?"</p><p>Sansa smiled lightly at that, pleased at being in the know. "Yes. And yes. Jon told me about it before we parted ways on our respective missions. He wanted to make sure he could recruit the remaining Giants before the White Walkers could overwhelm them. Or at least get them to safety south of the Wall even if they wouldn't fight so that their enormous corpses would be denied to the Army of the Dead. And it seems he succeeded in bringing them to our side."</p><p>"Hmph," Lady Mormont hummed in deep thought. "We may still be quite outnumbered by the combined forces under House Bolton but having an allied battalion of giants would be a game-changer if half the stories I have heard about them are true."</p><p>"Let's hope so," Davos Seaworth commented. "Anything else of note on that letter, my Lady?"</p><p>Sansa turned back down to read the words and continued. "You should also be aware that now that I know where your camp is due to the raven's eyes, we are marching to your location to bolster your forces. And to be clear, we are not just heading there with giants and their large herds of mammoths," She added loudly, "But also with a little over 500 spearwives lead by Princess Val..."</p><p>"Val is alive?!" Tormund said in surprise before a wide smile of relief crossed his features.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"That is good to hear," He stated, clearly in a better mood, "especially since now we can also count on her forces."</p><p>"Who is she?" Sansa asked, realizing that she hadn't heard that name before.</p><p>"Val is the younger sister of the deceased wife of Mance Ryder, our last King Beyond the Wall. She is a fierce fighter herself and had become more involved in organizing and leading our various spearwives before the Battle of Castle Black," The large man explained. "She wanted to fight on the night of our attack back then but Mance wanted to keep her forces in reserve for the second day of fighting. For what is worth, she is well respected among many in the various tribes and clans and while I can't say for sure, it has been suspected by some of us that ever since Mance's wife and her baby died in childbirth, that he has been trying to groom Val to be in a good position to gain our favor and arise as Queen Beyond the Wall in case he died before he could bring us south of the frontier. That's why some of us have started calling her princess. I guess the title stuck among her spearwife followers."</p><p>Then he frowned. "If that part is true, then I imagine she went to the North Grove with the Giants to regroup but why she couldn't then fulfill Mance's instructions I can't say."</p><p>"The letter may shed some light into that," Lyanna Mormont said. "But before you continue, may I ask what are spearwives?"</p><p>"Oh, that is just what we call the women among the Free Folk that are also warriors," Tormund explained. "And if I recall correctly, the ones under Val were some of or best fighters, women or not."</p><p>"Huh," The ruler of Bear island said with a lot of interest evident in his tone. "I would like to meet Val and some of her spearwife friends one day then."</p><p>Sansa gasped at that moment, prompting the others to look at her. "That might happen sooner than you think," She said in surprise.</p><p>Then, she held the letter in her hands more tightly and went on.</p><p>"And just so you know, we are actually close by," The redhead said, to the shock of everyone in the room. "Normally, it would have taken us a couple of weeks to make it to your location even with the gates of Castle Black wide open for once but as I am sure you must have suspected by now, there were more powers at work when that Red priestess I have heard about used the magic of her religion to successfully revive your brother. And now his own powers begun to grow to the point that he can tap to the Weirdwood root network of trees that the Children of the Forest of old first connected in ways that have not been done since the early Dawn Age, back when their magic was at its height: to use his own supernatural might to transport an army at lightning speed through the root network from one weirwood tree to another. And the closest one we found to your camp's location on Jon's map was less than a league from you; in one of the mountains close to the coastline."</p><p>There was a very, very long moment of silence in the tent as everyone digested that piece of information. In the end, Sansa continued, since it seems they didn't know what to say to that and her own reaction was more subdued as she actually knew that her brother had become a god.</p><p>"So, you can expect us soon and know we have come to join your cause. I hope we can get along when we meet in person," She said aloud, her face frowning suddenly which was probably not left unnoticed by the others. "Signed by Josera Snow, bastard of Lord Gregor from House Forrester and Warg Guardian of the North Grove."</p><p>Before they could even comment about the relation between that man and the House under siege that they had been discussing not so long ago, they started hearing a commotion outside. Having an idea of what to expect after the contents of the letter were revealed to them, Sansa headed outside of the tent with the others close behind. And then she smiled at the horizon beyond the camp. The giants had truly arrived to reinforce them.</p><p>Just as her beloved brother had assured her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Some fans of Game of Thrones had said online in a joking fashion that certain characters gained the power of teleportation off-screen due to how fast they traveled from one point to another in the last few seasons despite the vast geographic distances. Well, here is an in-universe explanation/cover story for said teleportation powers XD</p><p>Oh and for those that have read the books, remember that since the show is essentially an alternate universe to the book's canon in George R. R. Martin's own words and as my thread's launch point started there, my version of Val is a bit different. Partially due to this being a parallel version and also because of the changes I made to compensate for her lack of appearances in the TV show before bringing her in here.</p><p>Anyway, hope you had fun catching up along with Sansa and co! And yes, in case it wasn't clear, I will be updating the maps in the relevant chapters so that I can showcase the progress of the respective sides of the Stark-Bolton War. Later!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Shock and Awe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for all the comments! Here is the next one so that you can enjoy it while I rest a bit from the virus. Feeling better than two days ago but this is no joke. Hope you enjoy it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>One hour, several meetings, and quite a few orders later, Sansa Stark decided to take a walk around camp, wishing to bask in the sunlight of the increasingly shorter days while she still could. All around her, there was a frenzy of activity as the additional Free Folk and Giant reinforcements hurried to set up tents or at least make-shift roofs above their heads for the coming night. Lady following closely, she had to pause for a moment beside her loyal direwolf as a giant lifted a heavy amount of material on his shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Petting her suddenly wary companion right behind her ears, Sansa decided it was probably a good time to use the additional intelligence Jon gave her mind with his powers so that Lady can better understand her orders through their bond.</p><p>"It's okay, girl," She told her in a soft voice. "Those huge people are here to help us."</p><p>The large wolf whined a bit but looked back at her redheaded master. The Lady of Winterfell in exile gazed at her unconvinced eyes more sternly at that.</p><p>"You may want to keep me safe but as long as they aren't attacking me, then, no bitting," She commanded with a raised finger.</p><p>Lady was motionless for a moment but she nodded before long almost to the point of bowing. The young woman couldn't help but grin at that. Her beloved brother really had made her reborn friend smarter for the better.</p><p>Suddenly, as if her recent thoughts had tempted fate, she tensed in alarm as she heard a mighty roar echo across the land. And all around her, she could sense the whole camp freeze.</p><p>She looked up, trying to find the source of the sound and suddenly could see movement in the clouds above but it was still too far to distinguish anything clearly. Before long, Lady Lyanna of House Mormont joined her astride the horse she had been riding to inspect the camp and check out the newcomers with her own eyes.</p><p>"What in all the Old Gods forgotten names was <strong>that</strong>?" The ruler of Bear Island demanded to know.</p><p>Before Sansa could reply that she wasn't sure, they were joined by the closest member of the North Grove Council: Val, the so-called Princess of the Free Folk. She seemed to be focusing her gaze to make sure she was correct in her assumptions.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Then she smirked.</p><p>"It appears Lord Snow has finally arrived atop the surprise we were telling you about."</p><p>Lady Lyanna and her liege exchanged a glance, shock starting to expand across their features.</p><p>"Could it be...?" She whispered as she stared back at the sky, realizing it<em> could</em> be possible given her brother's new status but understanding that such a revelation would stun her all the same.</p><p>Her godly brother did not disappoint her as a powerful and regal looking blue dragon descended from the clouds.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Sansa could have cut the awed silence of the entire camp with a knife as Jon came into view astride the magnificent animal. As for herself, she was fairly certain she had never smiled wider. For the hope in her being was higher than ever.</p><p>And she knew in her heart that they were going to succeed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know this chapter was a bit short but oh well, something is something. Rest for me for now. Until next time.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Rallying the Troops</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, here is the next chapter to pick up where we left off. Thanks for all the comments and thoughts spared for my health. Much appreciated. </p><p>Another short chapter but I hope the fast updates are making it acceptable for your standards. There will be more chapters released soon enough. In the meantime enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="chapter-content">
  <p>The thick silence continued to permeate the air as the crowd gathered around Jon Snow astride his own dragon. He could see wonder and awe in the eyes of most and outright shock in plenty as well. Even some of the Free Folk and Giants from the North Grove looked impressed, and he figured it probably was because actually watching him ride a willing Ice Dragon was something else entirely. But most of all, he saw hope. Hope in his leadership and in his ability to achieve victory for their cause.</p>
  <p>At that moment, the new god remembered the wise words that Ser Davos said back in their war meeting at Castle Black about not even the bravest of men wanting to see their wives and children skinned for a lost cause.</p>
  <p><em>"The alliance with the Giants probably went a long way to convince them we have a chance to defeat the Boltons,"</em> Jon thought. <em>"But getting a dragon on our side is something else entirely. After all, that has historically proven to be a powerful omen on the battlefield."</em></p>
  <p>And with that in mind, he decided it was time to fire up their morale in the ice-cold winds of the North.</p>
  <p>"Strong fighters of Bear Island!" Jon shouted loudly before he could lose his nerve, "Proud warriors of the Free Folk! Mighty Giants of the Lands Beyond the Wall! And friends and allies all...our alliance makes this is a historic day."</p>
  <p>He paused for a second, quickly gathering his thoughts while had their undivided attention. "And that's why I would like to ask you to take a moment to heed my words. It's true that our peoples have fought countless times throughout the centuries. And I won't ask you to forget your dead as I will never forget mine. But as most of you have realized by now, Winter is coming. And the Dead are coming with it."</p>
  <p>"That is why, I am proud to see all of you standing side by side," He went on, as he clenched his fist. "Right now the Night's Watch and we are the only ones that realize the true threat that lies beyond the Wall. But that will change soon enough because when I look at you all, I see the men and woman that will end House Bolton's reign of terror over the North and earn their place in the history of song!"</p>
  <p>Countless people started yelling aye at that and Jon waited a moment for the sounds to wind down. Taking a deep breath, he continued.</p>
  <p>"As many of you are aware, a mutiny at Castle Black resulted in my death...but not in my final end," He added, resolve in his gaze. "I won't pretend to be an expert on the ways of the gods but I believe my resurrection and the magical boons it has granted me are a sign that at least some of the gods are on our side. So, tell me, warriors of the long wide North, are you going to waste the divine opportunities we have been bestowed?"</p>
  <p>"No!!!" Came the roars of the crowd.</p>
  <p>"Are you going to join me and my new Ice Dragon in the war to retake Winterfell for House Stark and take down the bloody traitors that have flayed so many of our countrymen?!"</p>
  <p>"Aye!!!"</p>
  <p>"Are you going to fight for the sake of your loved ones and make sure they live to see the end of the Long Night?!"</p>
  <p>"Yes!!!" Came the chants.</p>
  <p>At that moment, Jon unsheathed his Valyrian Steel sword and raised Long Claw above his head.</p>
  <p>"Then I vow to fight for you as well! And to repay the faith you have placed in House Stark and me to the best of my ability. Together, we will save our homelands! And tomorrow, life itself!"</p>
  <p>Everyone started cheering at that and their enthusiasm redoubled when, fittingly, the dragon gave her own roar of approval.</p>
  <p>All around the beach, the many oaths and chants were mixed in a cacophony of praise. But as Jon's eyes found the radiant smile of his beloved sister he heard the one line that echoed above the others.</p>
  <p>"Victory for the Starks!"</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you had fun! And for those that had been asking for more Jonsa content, well, you won't have to wait long for that anymore...especially if you remember the comment drill XD</p><p>Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. War Council</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for all the support thus far. As thanks, here is the next chapter. Hope you like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>While the crowd was still cheering in a merry mood, Jon climbed down his Ice Dragon through her winged shoulder; his huge bag with the chests full of gold from the Iron Bank of Braavos carried with ease due to his newfound giant strength. He patted her on the lowered neck for a long moment and she gave him a fierce grin before taking off to the sky. Jon saw her fly towards the top of a nearby mountain before he heard footsteps behind him.</p><p>"I have to say," Sansa said with an amused smile, "when you sent me that mental message assuring me we would be reunited sooner than expected, magical transportation from one place to another and flying atop a dragon was not what I had in mind."</p><p>Jon smiled back at her, the loud proclamation from the warriors masking their conversation. "I actually can't take credit for the Ice Dragon. That was a pleasant surprise waiting for me at the North Grove. But yes," He said, lowering his tone, "I realized the magical Weirwood network of the ancient Children of the Forest would be a plausible cover story to transport our reinforcements faster."</p><p>"Well, I am most certainly impressed," The redhead reply. "And it seems your speech has certainly raised the morale," She added as she looked at a group of Bear Island bannermen that kept chanting victory for the Starks with raised fists as they stared at the retreating Ice Dragon.</p><p>Jon got closer to her, as he stared at his beloved sister's mesmerizing blue eyes. "That was the idea."</p><p>Sansa felt heart race at his expression and before long, she was embracing him with all the emotion she could give in public.</p><p>"I missed you so much," She whispered in his ear, desire and longing thick in her voice.</p><p>"I know," Jon said with a sigh as he felt her red hair caress his face. "And I am sorry. But I will make it up to you."</p><p>Sansa's eyes brightened at that but before he could ask what he meant their reunion was interrupted by the approaching hooves. They broke away and saw the first Lady that had answered the call of House Stark with her own banners.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>She bowed her head once her white horse stopped.</p><p>"Jon Snow," She said in deference. "I am Lady Lyanna Mormont, ruler of Bear Island."</p><p>The former Lord Commander nodded in respect.</p><p>"I knew your uncle Jeor, My Lady," He told her. "He was one of the best men I have ever known."</p><p>"I am pleased to hear that," She replied. "As I am pleased to hear that you are taking up his fight to defend the realms of men so seriously. The defense the Night Watch represented was always of great importance to him and while your resurrection has given you a rare but valid reason to leave Castle Black, I am glad your watch has not completely ended yet because the North could really use your leadership," She paused and looked around at the grinning Free Folk and Giants. "All of the North at that, it seems. And...I must say, watching a worthy leader wield the ancestral sword of my House that my uncle gave you, while riding a mighty dragon, was quite inspirational," She added with a grin of her own.</p><p>Jon took a moment to take in her words, then smiled lightly. "You honor me, My Lady, with your kind words and with your support. And you can rest assured that as the first of our bannermen keep to their oaths in these times of crisis, I will make sure House Mormont and the people of Bear Island are suitably rewarded when the time comes."</p><p>The island ruler pounded her chest with her fist once and smirked fiercely. "The Boltons will curse the day they betrayed House Stark before this war is done. And we will do all we can to make sure they won't have to curse for long."</p><p>The new god smiled fondly, realizing Sansa had a point when she had said the ruler of Bear Island reminded her of Arya.</p><p>"I like you," Jon said sincerely. "Now, why don't the leaders and advisors among us gather for a war council. We have much to discuss and I still have a few surprises to share with you all."</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Eventually, the cheerful crowds went back to finishing their tasks of setting up their tents for the night. And that was when the Starks sent word to the ones they wanted on their meeting. Before long, their biggest tent was packed with the advisors and leaders Sansa had been traveling with on top of the leaders of the forces from the North Grove that arrived to reinforce them. Once everyone gathered around the table, and Jon was certain the introductions got taken care of before he arrived, he started to address them all.</p><p>"Thank you for coming, everyone," He said. "As I told you earlier, there are some vital news I need to share with you but first, we have to discuss our next course of events."</p><p>They remained silent when he paused for a moment, which he took as his cue to continue.</p><p>"As I already told Josera, and Elsera Snow, as well as their close allies from the North Grove, part of the deal to get them to join our forces together, was to come to the aid of the besieged House of their late father, Lord Gregor Forrester," He explained. "I intend to keep that promise and not just because I am honor-bound to fulfill it, but because I believe that saving House Forrester while crushing the treacherous Whitehills would accomplish many tactical advantages for our cause."</p><p>"For starters," He continued, "If they have managed to withstand the siege for this long them all the surviving soldiers on Ironrath are truly battle-hardened veterans; exactly the kind we need right now. Moreover, saving them and ensuring they join our cause, as a result, would probably have the added benefit of ensuring House Glenmore would pledge their support as well since the two Houses are joined by marriage. Then, by pacifying the Wolfswood region from the chaos House Whitehill has put it through, our show of strength would probably force Lord Glover to back us up instead of remaining neutral or else risk looking too weak by his vassal Houses. And finally, our victory would show the rest of the North that we are willing to stand up to House Bolton and their allies."</p><p>There was a moment of silence as they analyzed his words but most nodded in agreement at the logic. Suddenly, Lady Lyanna removed a letter from her pocket and opened it, as if wanting to verify some information before speaking. Before long, she addressed the former Lord Commander.</p><p>"According to my most recent reports, House Whitehill's forces have dropped from around 500 swords at the beginning of the siege to around 430." She informed. "With today's reinforcements, our troops number a little over 2850 warriors. With numbers like that, we should certainly be able to rout out these disloyal bannermen easily, especially with their lines more exposed now that they are focusing mainly on their starvation tactic towards the people of Ironrath. They are not the ones taking shelter inside a fortress after all. And that's not even counting the panicked damage your dragon could cause these traitors," She added with a smirk.</p><p>"Or the giants," Magash Char said in a thick accent through the Common Tongue as she pounded her bone-armored chest. "We will...aid Starks."</p><p>Jon nodded in respect towards the tallest being in the room, so tall she had to lower her head so as to not hit the roof of the tent. "I am glad to hear that. However, there is something else you should know. Tomorrow, I am going to have to ride on my dragon towards Riverrun so that I can get there in time before our window of opportunity closes."</p><p>Sansa's eyes widened at the mention of her mother's first home. "Why? What happened?"</p><p>Jon took a deep breath before continuing. "When I used my...new magical abilities to connect to the network of Weirwood trees across Westeros, I also tapped into the line of sight of the Weirwood tree of the Godswood at Riverrun and other nearby. It seems the Lannisters have sent their army to reinforce those damned Freys in their attempt to retake the castle."</p><p>After more than a few curses were uttered across the tent towards both of these hated Houses, Jon continued.</p><p>"From what I could tell, Riverrun is actually well manned and supplied," Jon admitted. "They could probably last a while even with the Lannisters backing the Freys. But I don't want to risk the last veterans pledged to the Blackfish, one of the most experienced military commanders left in Westeros, dying pointlessly when we could be rallying our forces together instead. So, here is what I was thinking: tomorrow we will march the short distance it will take to get to Ironrath. When we are within striking distance of House Whitehill's forces, I will climb atop my Ice Dragon and fire up as much frost-flame as we can on the way south to punch a hole through their lines and lower the numbers of their disoriented forces in the process. Then, before they can recover, our army would go all out towards the enemy and win a quick, decisive victory. After which, I would be counting on you," He said, staring at the half-siblings of the current Lord of Ironrath, "And on Sansa to convince House Forrester to join our cause. Any objections?"</p><p>There was a prolonged pause as they considered his plan. Eventually, Princess Val spoke up.</p><p>"It would have been spectacular to watch you crush those traitors with your Ice Dragon alone, I am sure, but the plan sounds good to me," The blonde Spearwife said. "Besides, we can't have things becoming too easy, right Tormund?"</p><p>Jon's friend from the Free Folk chuckled at that. "True that, Val. It's bad for digestion," He joked around.</p><p>At least, Jon thought it was a joke. But then, his redheaded sister coughed for a moment.</p><p>"I do have something to add," She said. "I was contacted by Peter Baelish with an...interesting offer."</p><p>The new god raised an eyebrow at that but motioned for her to continue.</p><p>"Essentially, he told me that he has enough command of the Eyrie as Lady Lysa Arryn widower to send the Knights of the Vale to our aid if I ask with enough anticipation for him to prepare and to arrive with his army in time," She explained.</p><p>Eyes widened across the tent at that piece of information. "Hmph, Stannis told me before the Battle of Blackwater Bay that Littlefinger was high on his list of members of the Small Council he intended to replace," Ser Davos chimed in. "Based on what I have heard of the man, I can't say that I blamed him. What exactly did he ask in return?"</p><p>"Honestly?" Sansa said with a shrug. "He didn't ask for anything in return. He just told me he sorely regrets arranging my marriage to Ramsey as a way of sending me home to Winterfell now that he actually knows how sadistic he was. So, he claims he wants to make it up to me."</p><p>Jon scratched his chin, considering. "And you trust him?"</p><p>His beloved sister took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. "I trust him to want to stay alive, playing the game of thrones in his own way. But while I wouldn't trust him for most things anymore, I do believe his offer to help this time is genuine. I am sure he would try to argue later on that his help would warrant a special favor at some point, however."</p><p>"Hmm," Jon grunted in a ponderous tone. "I won't deny that the aid of the Knights of the Vale would be very helpful. But I think that, for now, it would be better to concentrate on regaining the support of our banners from the North and the Riverlands," He told his Stark-Tully sibling. "It may take a bit longer but it is important to consolidate our position in the North before seeking the aid of other Kingdoms. For instance, so long as I am traveling south, I was thinking of stopping by White Harbor on the way back try to persuade the powerful House Manderly to join our cause. That would certainly be seen as a big deal by the rest of the Northern Houses after all," He explained. "If you want, however, I suggest you send him a raven once we save Ironrath and tell him to prepare to come to our aid but not march until we give him our say so."</p><p>Sansa nodded at that. "Sounds like a plan. Now, what is the second piece of news you wanted to tell us?"</p><p>Before Jon could respond a soldier from Bear Island interrupted them as he entered the tent.</p><p>"My Lords," He said with a rushed bow. "There are about 25 Ironborn ships approaching our exact point of the coastline...and they are carrying the flag of truce."</p><p>The new god chuckled at that while everyone seemed shocked. "Impeccable timing," He said as he lifted his bag and retrieved one of the large chests full of gold from the loan of the Iron Bank of Braavos and a smaller item encased in a piece of cloth. "That's the surprise. Now, follow me, it's time we met our new allies."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I already have a plan for how Jon will "make it up" to Sansa but if any of you want to share your own ideas, feel free to leave a comment. Who knows, I may end up incorporating some of those ideas :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Anticipated Negotiations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for all the comments while I was resting. They certainly brightened my day. Now, I am sure you want answers after that cliffhanger, so enjoy the next chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>By the time all the Ironborn ships docked on the coast, Jon had made sure his suddenly wary troops understood that this was a merchant fleet from the most trade-oriented, and populous region of the Iron Islands and that he personally invited the Lord of its most prosperous island, Lord Rodrick Harlaw, with a raven a week earlier.</p><p>Eventually, the concern made way to curiosity. There were many in the North were aware that Lord Harlow was one of the few major Lords of the Ironborn that disliked fights, especially unnecessary ones. Moreover, he made no secret that he had tried to talk Baelon Greyjoy out of starting a rebellion against the Iron Throne in the first decade of Robert Baratheon's rule. His pleas to focus on trade instead of returning to their so-called glory days of raiding fell on deaf ears, of course, but at least he had tried. So, the warriors in general and the people from Bear island, in particular, were curious to see what sort of deal had their military leader made with the wealthiest merchant Lord of the Iron Islands.</p><p>Eventually, the ramp from the flagship was lowered and an average-looking man that was probably pushing 50 years old, with brown hair and eyes and a short, neat grey beard walked down the coastline.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Jon approached him slowly, to give enough time for his escort to realize he wasn't looking for trouble. When he was finally before him, the new god gave him a respectful nod.</p><p>"Lord Rodrik Harlaw, I am pleased to see you have accepted my offer," He said as he extended his hand.</p><p>The man moved his own and they shook on it, a mild smile on his lips. "To be honest, I was a little skeptical at first," He admitted. "The North and the Iron Islands have recently been caught in an unfortunate conflict started by an idiotic king, that never seemed to learn his lessons, after all. But the seal of approval from an Iron Bank representative is hard to ignore, even if it comes by raven instead of personally delivered. So, here are the weapons and supplies you requested. With it, your army will be far better equipped than it is now."</p><p>Some soldiers that were close enough to hear that proclamation actually gasped at that, then started to grin. They had started to run low on food these last couple of days after all and, on top of that, most of the Free Folk lacked proper steel weapons, to say nothing about their armor. Additional supplies would be very welcomed indeed.</p><p>And so, Jon delivered one of his huge chest full of gold loaned by the Iron Bank representative, Tycho Nestoris, right into the merchant Lord's hands. He opened it and quickly scanned the amount of gold he saw, making rapid calculations in his mind. Seemingly satisfied at what he saw, he made a motion at one of his guards, which was his cue to raise a torch above his head. Suddenly, all the ramps from the remaining ships started to get lowered and Ironborn started carrying large crates full of food, weapons, shields and pieces of armor. Jon was also pleased to see that Lord Harlaw also managed to fulfill the more complicated request to bring additional horses for his army.</p><p>The man saw him stare at the pack animals heading down the ships and tilted his head. "I only managed to gather 125 horses because it wasn't safe to carry more than 5 per ship on top of all the other cargo. But it's better than nothing, as I am sure you know."</p><p>"That I do," Jon replied. "If you don't mind me asking, what news of the Iron Islands? Last I heard was that Balon Greyjoy fell to his death but I have been too busy since then to find out more."</p><p>Lord Harlow sighed heavily. "He didn't fell to his death, he was pushed by his own brother, Euron, and now that he sent his nephews on the run, he ended up winning the Kingsmoot. As such, he is our newly appointed king now."</p><p>Jon raised an eyebrow at that. "He committed king AND kinslaying, was open about it and he still managed to get enough support to win that crown?"</p><p>The tired man scratched his beard. "My countrymen can be...as stubborn as the seas and as shortsighted as a starving shark, to put it mildly. As you can imagine, that can be a dangerous combination. Especially when he promised them to seduce the Dragon Queen with a brand new Iron fleet, that is currently under construction, in exchange for her hand in marriage and access to her dragons on future battles."</p><p>Jon had a sudden urge to turn back and see if his Ice Dragon was visible among the nearby mountain peak, but decided not to mention anything in case he didn't notice. Mentally deciding to focus his thoughts on how to deal with Daenerys Targaryen's eventual arrival at a later date, he lowered his tone a bit.</p><p>"I would assume you are not particularly interested in your society getting involved in another major war so soon after the last one," He said slowly.</p><p>"No, and I have made no secret about it," He said firmly. "Which is one of the other reasons I am helping you. I intend to keep the island of Harlaw out of the coming conflicts as much as I can aside from trading and supply runs to the navy if it comes to that but the military decisions of the Iron Fleet are out of my hands. So, when Euron finally faces the consequences of his folly, I hope the North remembers that I choose to help House Stark on their quest to retake Winterfell."</p><p>"Believe me, My Lord, the North always remembers its true allies one way or another, and I can assure you I won't forget your aid at our time of need," The former Lord Commander assured him. "And because I thought you might say that, I brought a special gift for you as a gesture of good faith."</p><p>With that, Jon handed him over the smaller item covered by the piece of cloth he requested Lord Commander Edd would let him take from the Night's Watch library at Castle Black. The merchant Lord's face brightened considerably when he read the title of the book within.</p><p>"Hardhome: An Account of Three Years Spent Beyond-the-Wall among Savages, Raiders, and Woods-witches," He said excitedly. "Oh, I have been meaning to get my hands on this tome from Maester Wyllis for years but it is so hard to find a copy these days. Thank you, my friend."</p><p>Jon sighed in relief. "I was half expecting you already had it, given that I have heard you also the most well-read man of the Iron Islands. So, I am glad you like it. And besides, since this is one of the rare few written accounts of a Maester spending a considerable amount of time among the Free Folk, it seemed like a relevant gift regarding current events, given that a large chunk of my army is made of Free Folk themselves."</p><p>"Indeed," Lord Harlaw stated. "Books like this can be excellent sources of understanding. I am sure I will cherish it. But for now, I better go oversee the delivery of our cargo. It has been a pleasure to do business with you, Jon Snow. May we never be unfortunate enough to meet in battle."</p><p>He nodded in agreement and watched him leave. Then he took a deep breath and went to organize some of the men to receive the supplies. On the way, he smirked lightly. It would take him a couple of hours to finish overseeing everything.</p><p>But then...he had a surprise for Sansa.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For those that are not aware, Lord Rodrick Harlaw is from the books. Most of what I wrote about him is pretty much canon to the series, from being an avid, if unusual, reader to liking the idea of the Iron Islands shifting their society from pillaging to maritime trade. And yes, he also doesn't like Euron. That said, he never did show up in the show so I had Jon use his new powers to verify who would be likely allies to supply his troops near Bear Island once his army regrouped and once he had his answer, he sent him a raven from Castle Black after the off-screen deal with the Iron Bank was finished several chapters ago.</p><p>Anyway, I know it has been a while since there was sex in one of these chapters so that is getting rectified soon. As for the details of the surprise itself...read to find out XD</p><p>I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you did please leave a comment. Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Otherwordly Doorways</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for all the comments! Here is the continuation. One thing I should like to note, however, is that this chapter will have some curious references. Let's see if you can pick them up XD</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>It actually took less time than he expected to finish gathering the valuable cargo and distributing the weapons, shields, and pieces of armor. The Free Folk were particularly excited at the prospect of finally getting high-quality steel weapons since metal is hard to get north of the Wall. And since Jon had seen them fight so well with bows, spears, and axes, he had requested Lord Harlaw to specifically stack the crates with those weapons instead of swords if at all possible. Overall, battle axes proved to be the most popular weapons among the men of the Free Folk, especially the larger ones, while the spearwives tended to favor bows and spears since they usually had more practice with that. They also rather pick shields instead of suits of armor, which were more sought after by the soldiers of Bear Island.</p><p>He had made a special request for the smiths of Harlaw island, however: a few hundred thick war hammers, with 9 feet long steel handles. Jon grinned when he had realized the Giants adored the weapons. After all, their ability to smash opponents without damaging the actual weapon was a characteristic of war hammers and it was greatly increased when combined with their immense strength. Plus, the longer than usual handled gave their tall frames and long arms a much-extended reach in combat. Lord Rodrik had told him later that he had been curious about the seemingly exaggerated request but then expressed how impressed he was when he realized Jon had managed to get a considerable number of Giants to bend the knee to him.</p><p>All in all, the line dwindled quickly as everyone wanted to get their new and improved equipment so, by the time the moon had been in the sky for about an hour, most of the Free Folk were examining their new gear in the privacy of their tents. Some remained outside to guard the perimeter with their torches but it had been a long day and many needed their rest, especially with a battle looming tomorrow.</p><p>So, with all of that out of the way, Jon decided it was time to make it up to his beloved sister for making her wait so long for his return.</p><p>He found her near the entrance of her personal tent, the reborn Lady at her side along with Ghost, whom Jon had instructed would travel with Sansa and help keep her safe while he was away. Grinning lightly and deciding this was as good a time as any, he silently made the wish he had previously worked out carefully inside his mind. By the time he was done, the Direwolf had spotted him and barked playfully to get his attention. Jon took that moment to approach them and Sansa smiled fondly at him. Jon took a deep breath and returned her smile.</p><p>"My Lady," He said in a low tone full of hidden connotations that they shared together. "As I told you before, I intended to make it up to you for getting separated from you after we only just got reunited at Castle Black. So, would you like your surprise now?" He said with a suggestive look.</p><p>Sansa's eyes brightened immensely and she nodded. "I wouldn't dare miss it."</p><p>He chuckled. "In that case, after you," He said as he gestured at the entrance of her tent.</p><p>Sansa raised an eyebrow momentarily but her hesitation was over in a flash. As Jon moved to follow her, Lady started to lay down to guard the entrance. Once inside he noticed she had stopped abruptly at the end of the tent. She was staring at the two wooden doors that were not there the last time she was in the tent, mere moments ago.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"Alright," Sansa said, amused. "I believe some explanations are in order."</p><p>"As you wish," Jon explained with a grin. "You see, in the last week, I used my new powers to make a bit of a recurring wish. In case you were wondering why you were recently sleeping much better than usual by the time you woke up was because I wished for you to have excellent nights of rest. In exchange, I wanted to use my time while asleep to do some...exploring."</p><p>The redhead smiled, rolling her shoulders reflexively as she remembered just how reinvigorated she felt every morning of the past week. She should have known her amazing brother left her that benefit as a parting gift.</p><p>"Thank you," Sansa told him. "I hadn't slept better all year. But what do you mean by exploring?"</p><p>"Well, you see, I had been wondering for a few days now about something the major god that empowered me said when he revived me," Jon began. "He essentially said that there were many other worlds out there among the stars and even beyond this reality. At first, I wasn't sure what he meant. Some of the words he used like omniverse and parallel universes were strange to me. But after I analyzed it some more, I realized what he was talking about. So, out of curiosity, I decided to word into the wish where I improved your nights of rest the ability for me to explore other worlds and realms while I was asleep as if I was some sort of dream ghost."</p><p>Sansa's eyes widened at that. "And what did you discovered?" She asked curiously.</p><p>"That there really are many worlds out there," Jon asked in a wondrous tone. "I only managed to flote around the strange landscapes while I remained sleeping in our own world and I am sure I have barely scratched the surface but the sights I saw were so intriguing."</p><p>"For instance," The new god went on, "I saw a world composed only of 4 nations where the subjects of each kingdom could control a particular element, like water, earth, fire, and air," He explained. "I witnessed a world without seas where every section of the planet was part of one giant city and men from magical species I had never seen before were armed with blades of light while they entered ships that set sailed across the skies and even beyond," He said with an amazed expression. "I saw a world where cities were besieged by Grim, dark monsters but were always opposed by brave heroes and hunters from both sexes that fought them off with courage that matched the likes of the greatest legendary warriors from our wildest songs; with strange weapons that were useful both for melee and ranged combat," He added with a colorful gaze. "I saw..."</p><p>The Lady of Winterfell in exile listened in rapt attention as her beloved brother regale her with such exotic tales. It had been a long time since she had seen Jon so fascinated and she couldn't blame him. Visiting other worlds full of magic and wonder? That's a common dream in most children before they realize it's a lot harder than it sounds like. But now her brother was sharing treasured memories from those travels with her and she was fairly certain they were the only two people alive in all of Westeros that could say they are in the know about these realms. It made her feel special.</p><p>When he was done, however, she decided to address the mammoth in the room. "So, what does that have to do with these doors?" She asked, interested.</p><p>Jon smirked at her. "When I realized among these travels that some worlds were much smaller in one, err, reality, than another, I began to wonder if I could use my new powers to create a tiny world of my own, only accessible by my family and those I invite inside. So, after I practiced with a wish the night before we reached the North Grove, I realized it could truly be done."</p><p>Sansa gasped, her jaw-dropping to the floor as her eyes turned back to the doors. "Then that means..." she broke off in surprise but starting to catch on.</p><p>"Yes," Her brother said in satisfaction. "Beyond one of these doors, there is an uninhabited world I made for our privacy. And in the other door, there is another personal realm. According to the insights I gained from my powers when I was trying to understand these concepts, I believe the term for that is "pocket universe". And the best part? While we are inside, we could spend a couple of days relaxing while the night turns to day over here. That would give me some extra time to...give you the care you deserve," He told her, his voice starting to drip with lust as he stared at his beloved sister.</p><p>Almost without realizing it, Sansa's hand found her heart pounding at her chest, feeling excited and aroused in equal measures. "And...what exactly is behind each door?" She asked breathlessly.</p><p>Jon's grin had never looked smugger but Sansa decided to let it go since he was being so fantastic. "That's a surprise. I will make the doors disappear when we have to move the tent but know that for now, we are only going to be enjoying the pleasures of one room."</p><p>"Jon Snow!" Sansa shouted in a scandalized tone that was betrayed by the mirth in her eyes. "Are you seriously teasing me right now?"</p><p>"Maybe," He said smirking. "That said, there will be plenty of time later to enjoy the other room and much more later but we still have a war to win and our home to retake so it wouldn't do to get too distracted."</p><p>"Hmph," Was all the gorgeous redhead said as she turned back to the doors.</p><p>They looked the same.</p><p>"Just so you know," Jon added helpfully, "The door to the right leads to a very relaxing place where we can enjoy some new experiences in private while we...enjoy each other's company. And the door to the left will be where I will help you fulfill one of your sexual fantasies...which I learned about courtesy of my powers."</p><p>Sansa gasped at the added input and stared at the doors, contemplating her decision. After a couple of minutes in total silence, she turned back to her incomparable brother.</p><p>"I choose..."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just to be clear, I already picked which door they are entering and have finished the chapters set inside. But out of curiosity and for the sake of measuring the feedback, I would like to know which one would you pick and what would you rather see :P</p><p>Hope you enjoyed the chapter. And, hopefully, see you soon!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. The Door of Privacy and Relaxation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, here is the next chapter, and with it, the beginning of this little Jonsa vacation :D</p><p>Read on!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>"As tempting as the other door sounds," Sansa said while staring at Jon with a mock glare, "I have a feeling I know <strong>which one</strong> of my sexual fantasies you are talking about and, honestly, after having passionate dreams about you all week only to wake up longing for you, I want you all to myself now that we have the time."</p><p>Her sibling gave her a heated look, which made her heart race, and before long, he nodded. "Your wish is my command, my beautiful sister."</p><p>He paused for a moment, then smirked. "Literally, it seems."</p><p>The redhead's face cracked into a wide smile and she couldn't stop herself from laughing at that for a long moment. It felt so good. She hadn't had reason to laugh so hard in years.</p><p><em>"But now I am with my amazing, godly brother,"</em> She thought dreamily. <em>"And I have never felt safer."</em></p><p>"If that's your choice, then after you," He said while pointing at the right door, once he had stopped chuckling himself.</p><p>Sansa's eyes were full of mirth and anticipation as he approached the wooden entrance. Then, without more preamble, she opened it and moved forward, with Jon following close behind. At first, she saw nothing, just pitch blackness darker than any place she had seen but before she could frown, she felt a warm hand grip hers.</p><p>"Remember, we are temporarily leaving our world and entering another," The new god said. "This black...void...is basically a frontier between separate realities. But don't worry, I made sure the tunnel would be short on this occasion. Just walk a few more steps with me."</p><p>Trusting his words, Sansa moved forward, his hand a comforting presence in the dark. As he promised, soon she felt another door just ahead. She searched with her unoccupied fingers for a handle and after a few tries, she found it. She turned back to her lover and gave him a wide smiled that surely reached her eyes even though he couldn't see her face. Then she opened the door.</p><p>The first thing that struck her was the sunlight. And the heat it brought. She sighed while her eyes adjusted, the pleasant warmth soothing her body. After a few more moments, however, she was greeted by an unfamiliar sight.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"What exactly is that?" Sansa asked curiously.</p><p>"That, my dear sister, I believe is called a pool," Jon replied. "I saw a few of those in some of the worlds I visited that had remarkably large cities. Apparently, people in those places use them to refresh themselves when the weather is too hot in their kingdoms, like a recreational bathtub."</p><p>Sansa snorted, humored. That certainly wasn't a frequent problem in the North. If those worlds had weathers as warm as this one, though, she could see it. The redhead looked around and saw that the pool extended farther away from her line of sight, ending on an area that faced several comfortable-looking, if short, beds on the borders.</p><p>A look of dawning realization came to her blue eyes. "Is that why you brought me here, Jon?" She asked with a purr. "So that we could swim without clothes?"</p><p>He swallowed a bit as he stared at her increasingly seductive face but he managed to find his voice. "Yes," He admitted. "But that wasn't the only reason. As I said, I made sure this place would be full of things to enjoy during our little..." He paused, "romantic getaway, I believe was the phrase I overheard on that world that may or may not have been called Paris."</p><p>Sansa shook her head. "Have I ever told you that you are beyond wonderful?"</p><p>Jon grinned. "No, but I wouldn't mind hearing that more often."</p><p>She smirked. "Then you will have to earn it," She said knowingly. "So, what are these other things you added to our little world that we could enjoy?"</p><p>"Well, to begin with, why don't you go to the house right there?" He said. "It's where we will be sleeping and I made sure you would have some lighter clothes that would be more appropriate for this weather. Speaking off, do you like the temperature?"</p><p>She hummed happily as she stared at the foreign-looking house. "Much. I love our home and all but I was starting to miss the warmth of summer."</p><p>"Well, then happy to help," Her sibling said, pleased. "Go to the house then and enter the only room on the second floor. You will find clothes there based on some of the fashion I found for young women during the warm weather of that other world I visited that also had these pools. I will be preparing some exotic food and drinks for later on and then meet you outside."</p><p>"Sounds good," Sansa said replied then walked towards the entrance.</p><p>As she opened the door, it occurred to her that she was going to be sharing this house with her beloved like a married match.</p><p>The thought made her happy.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Jon looked on at the meal he had prepared for Sansa and himself and felt satisfied. True, he could have just wished for a delicious banquet for his sister to materialize out of thin air but this wasn't an emergency or a necessity for his war effort. He didn't have to rush it because he could finally relax a bit after so long. Besides, as time-consuming as it was compared to the alternative, he actually wanted to put in the effort to please his lover, so he did.</p><p>"<em>After figuring out what goes were with my powers for these advanced cooking tools,</em>" He thought to himself. "<em>Seriously, if I didn't know any better due to my wish gathering knowledge, I would have thought half the things in this kitchen were magical items. I guess some worlds truly are vastly more technologically advanced than mine.</em>"</p><p>That line of thought gave him some pause, and he started considering possibilities.</p><p>"Hmm," He said suddenly. "Maybe I should take some inspiration from these worlds I can glimpse to improve the quality of life of our people once we retake Winterfell."</p><p>Then he heard happy humming sounds from the partially open window and shook his head; deciding that was a topic for another day. For now, he had a beautiful sister to please, and his patience was growing thin. So, he set down the plate on the table and headed outside.</p><p>When he opened the door, Jon's mouth watered at the sight.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"About time," She said with a lustful gaze. "See something you like, brother dear?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well then, I will leave you with that cliffhanger for now XD </p><p>You know the drill if you want me to update faster though so I hope to hear from you soon :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Passion by the Pool</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, the reception for the last 2 chapters has been particularly juicy so, here is the next one. From this moment on until the end of story arc 3, expect short chapters or cliffhangers but fast updates. And finally, I just want to take a moment to say that this chapter is dedicated to all of you readers of mine that have expressed your support of my gifs. Hope it enhances your experience :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Of course, there was something Jon liked about the way his stunning sister looked. But while he has had to make some adjustments since becoming a military leader, he was still usually a man of action, so he decided to let that speak for himself by making a wish that ended up vanishing his clothes on the spot so he could fuck her faster.</p><p>Sansa didn't look disappointed at that result, given that she was staring at his rock-hard manhood with clear hunger in her eyes, as she caressed her dripping pussy. "I want you inside me," She growled. "Now."</p><p>Let it not be said he has never listened to his dear sister. Jon closed the distance between them and gave her a voracious kiss which she responded with a passion. Meanwhile, he easily helped her undress from the lighter dress that barely covered her form until all her naked glory was fully exposed. Like the last time, the new god was impressed by how much of a work of art it was.</p><p>Unwilling to wait anymore, he laid face up on the small bed beside the pool and got himself into position. Sansa wasted no time and got herself above his throbbing member. Unable to help himself, Jon gripped his sister's beautiful tits, which made her gasp. Then without more preamble, he used a hand to aim his cock properly and penetrated her waiting cunt.</p><p>"F-Fuck!!!" Sansa moaned, her mouth wide open. "It feels even better than last time!"</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Jon groaned in response, the sensations of the wonderful, tight heat of her sister's core enveloping his shaft and assaulting his mind.</p><p>"Agreed," He replied, panting.</p><p>Sansa’s eyes looked down at him, her blue eyes burning with so much lust that it made Jon slam himself as hard as he could in her sheath. She writhed in ecstasy, and the heat emanating from her started to make her sweat spread down her chest.</p><p>Then, Jon gasped in pleasure when his sister started to gyrate her hips around him.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"Damn..." He swore. "Practicing some new moves?"</p><p>Sansa's laughter was short-lived because it was interrupted by a hiss when Jon speared her deeper. "Only the...best," She grunted, "for my lover."</p><p>And so they kept their carnal dance going, his balls smacking against her thighs and the force of their coupling caused the small bed to tremble as a result.</p><p>"FUCK!” Jon blurts out as the redhead squeezed Jon’s hips with her legs.</p><p>The young woman wanted to bury his cock inside her as far as it was physically possible. The weight of his swollen balls light her aflame with passion and Sansa arousal reached a fever pitch as she looked down at her brother hammering her as fast as he could.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Realizing he wasn't going to be able to hold off his climax for much longer, he asked the important question. Sansa impaled herself down on his cock immediately and stayed right there.</p><p>"Don't you dare pull out!" She screamed. "Give me your seed!"</p><p>His sister's lustful request was too much for him and it drove him over the edge as he came. Sansa clutched onto him and the moan that was building through her body became even more impressive when his explosion triggered her own climax.</p><p>Their howls of pleasure filled the garden as they joined together in the most intimate of ways. Then she disengaged from his member, panting, and sweaty as she laid by his side with her messy hair.</p><p>It was a vision of beauty that Jon was sure would be treasured in his memories for ages to come.</p><p>Sighing, Sansa turned to look at him in post-coital bliss, her gaze practically glowing. "That was...ah, so wonderful."</p><p>Then she slapped his chest playfully. "You do know that after such a performance, I am going to expect you to make time to take care of my needs now, right?" She asked in an utterly serious tone. "So, I hope you don't make me wait too long for the next time once we leave this place."</p><p>Jon smiled widely, his gaze full of fondness. "That would be my honor and pleasure, my Lady. And rest assured, I got the message loud and clear. But for now, what do you want to do?"</p><p>Sansa took a moment to think about it, then looked back at her beloved brother and opened her mouth.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Any guesses as to what comes next? XD</p><p>Anyway, I hope you liked it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Exotic Drinks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for all the support in the last chapter! Reading your thoughts on future Jonsa babies was most entertaining XD</p><p>Now, here is the next chapter for your reading pleasure. Hope you like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>"You know, with all the excitement of the past few hours, I hadn't had a chance to have supper," Sansa said with a growing grin. "So, I guess I am hungry in more ways than one. Care to indulge me?"</p><p>"My beautiful sister," Jon asked with widened eyes in a seemingly surprised tone. "Are you asking me to court you with a romantic dinner?"</p><p>She gave him a thoroughly affectionate look. "I am." She confirmed. "Just let me wash myself on this pool for a bit. I am a bit of a mess right now," The redhead said as she glanced at her sweaty breasts and her leaking pussy lips.</p><p>"A beautiful mess," Jon declared with a heated gaze.</p><p>Sansa paused at that, then winked and stood up, deliberately swaying her ass as she walked down the pool until she was submerged halfway through her chest. Jon watched on, mesmerized, as the sunlight reflected on the droplets of water that covered her chest as his spectacular lover washed them clean.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Then she smirked, approaching a small table beside the pool where he now noticed that she had left a couple of articles of clothing that looked made for pools. She grabbed a white piece that only covered her chest but her movements were so sensual and slow that the new god couldn't help but swallow. Before long, she rolled her head to better move her wet, fiery mane and gave him a teasing smile.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"While I get clean, why don't you bring me a drink?" She asked in an innocent tone.</p><p>Jon chuckled and shook his head before turning back to the house.</p><p>"<em>She wants to play that game, eh</em>?" He thought. "<em>Then it's time to give her a drink she will never forget.</em>"</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Jon returned about 15 minutes later, once he managed to get that all but magical blender machine working. He had put some pants on but his bare chest remained on display when he came back with the drinks ready. He carried them in his hands towards the pool, to see that his beloved sister was certainly enjoying the pool, if her pleasant humming while swimming was any indication. By the time she saw him, the Lady of Winterfell in exile raised an eyebrow as she stared at the glasses containing a white drink with a curious black stick Jon was sure she had never seen before. The same could be said about the decorative yellow fruit.</p><p>"What's that?" She inevitably asked.</p><p>Jon grinned. "That, my dear Sansa, is a special drink from one of the other words I glimpsed at. I believe it's called a Piña colada, named after one of the main ingredients," He explained while nodding at the yellow fruit. "I brought two for you because, believe me, you won't be able to drink just one," He assured her.</p><p>"Is that so?" She said with a smile that showed her impeccable teeth. "Then let's find out."</p><p>Jon handed over both glasses when she went to the higher ground within the pool, walking past the life-like statue in the area, and noticing as he did so that she also brought one of those swimming clothes that barely covered her legs.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>He shook his head, his mouth salivating a bit. "Those new clothes look VERY good on you," He couldn't help but stress.</p><p>Sansa chuckled at that. "I am glad you liked it. Can't say I have ever seen anything like it, though. What's this thing?" she asked while pointing at the red fabric that covered her inner sanctum.</p><p>"If I heard correctly back when I was exploring the world of Paris, then it's called a bikini," The new god replied with a stare.</p><p>He had to force himself to look away. "Give me a second to get my own drink. I will be back before you know it."</p><p>"Sure," She said as she moved the glass away from her lips. "I can wait."</p><p>And so, Jon sprinted back to the house and got his own piña colada before turning back. Before long, he was in front of Sansa, who had gotten out of the pool by then and was giving him a radiant smile that was intensified by the sunlight on her wet form. He took a deep breath and raised his glass.</p><p>"To us," He whispered in a devoted tone, encapsulating his feelings quite easily.</p><p>Sansa actually teared up slightly and moved her arm to rub it away from her eyes. "To us," She said in agreement then started to drink at once.</p><p>The new god already knew what to expect but Sansa clearly didn't, for she actually moaned in surprised satisfaction as she gulped the liquid. When she could finally speak after drinking more than half the glass, she stared at her smirking brother in wonder.</p><p>"That was without a doubt, the best drink I have ever had," She admitted. "Much sweeter than I expected though."</p><p>Jon laughed briefly. "I did promise you new experiences, didn't I?"</p><p>"That you did, brother dear," She replied with a knowing look.</p><p>"Well then, allow me to keep them coming," He said with a mysterious tone. "You can go to the second floor to dry up and change your clothes. Then meet me downstairs in the dining hall. I have more surprises for you."</p><p>Sansa shook her head and crossed the distance between them by kissing him deeply. Their lips locked for a long moment as they expressed their hunger for each other. But before things could get too heated, Sansa broke away and placed a hand on his cheek.</p><p>"I really do love you," She said with a dreamy sigh.</p><p>Then she walked away without waiting for a reply, leaving the new god breathless. Then he followed the woman he was growing to love more and more to the inside of their secret home.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know this one was low on sex content but I wanted to take advantage of the situation to have the two of them experience other sorts of romantic situations. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it and if you did, please leave a comment telling me what you think. I will get back to my ASOIAF reread for an hour or two before posting the next chapter. </p><p>So, until next time guys, see ya!</p><p>P.S. I am sick and tired of the additional author notes getting repeated at the end but I don't know how to fix that without deleting the lower notes that were actually relevant for the chapter. Can anyone help me out there?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. A Romantic Dinner</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, here is the Jonsa dinner date I teased in the previous chapter XD Have fun!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Jon was on his feet, pacing beside the table when Sansa came down. She was dressed in one of those light dresses for young women that he believes are called t-shirts and some grey...shorts, was it? Jon shook his head as he approached his sister. Trying to keep up with all of these alien and supernatural concepts could be exhausting.</p><p>"I see you put on the gold bracelets I left on your bedside table," He noted.</p><p>The lips of her mouth twisted upwards. "Well, I may be unfamiliar with some of the fashion you incorporated into the room but I had a feeling the occasion of this dinner called for some jewelry," She said as she showed him her arm. "This on the other hand," The Lady of Winterfell in exile added while flicking her other wrist, "I was harder pressed to understand."</p><p>Jon snickered briefly. "That is called a wristwatch, I think. Essentially, it's like a sun clock but a lot smaller, more precise, and it doesn't need the sun to tell the time."</p><p>"Huh," She said with slightly widened eyes. "That sounds useful."</p><p>Then, Sansa tilted her head when she saw the specific table in the dining hall that they were going to sit on. It had candle lights, fine silverware, and dishes she had never seen before yet clearly smelled delicious. Smiling affectionately, she offered her hand to her partner. Jon kissed it delicately and turned to look at her with reverence. Then he pulled the seat for her and accommodated it when she sat down, giggling as she did so.</p><p>"What a gentleman," The redhead with a sigh.</p><p>"Only the best for my lover," He replied with a heated look, echoing the words she had said after gyrating her hips so fantastically around his cock.</p><p>Sansa swallowed, clearly thinking back on the memory. Then she shook her head.</p><p>"So," She said loudly, in an effort to diffuse the sexual tension in the room before it could prematurely boil over, "What is this?"</p><p>Jon grinned as he sat down in front of her. "The appetizer is, as you know, corn, but for the dish beside it, I have prepared a delicious meal for you with the knowledge I gathered from those other worlds. I am fairly certain it's called a hamburger. Essentially, the beef is cooked and cut in ways we are not used to in Westeros and stuck inside two slices of bread. The sauce that gives it a fantastic taste is called barbecue. As additional ingredients, there is some tasty bacon, and, if I recall correctly, onion rings."</p><p>His sister raised an eyebrow as she stared at the plate.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"This is an onion?" She asked, slightly confused.</p><p>"Ah, yes," Jon said in dawning realization. "It seems some worlds have developed ways to fry their food and although I have learned how to replicate the efforts, that's not important right now. Just know that it has a way to make the food more crunchy and delicious. The same applies to the french fries beside the burger."</p><p>"Okay," Sansa said simply. "But I think I will leave the best for last," She said while staring at the burger.</p><p>And with that, she started eating the familiar corn. In between bites they talked a bit about some of their fond memories from the past and catched up a bit with some of the events while separated that they hadn't had the chance to tell each other yet.</p><p>Jon almost choked on his own piña colada when Sansa revealed a particularly dangerous detail.</p><p>"Seriously? You almost pushed Joffrey from the top of the Red Keep?"</p><p>"He had just shown me father's severed head on a pike, alright?" She said, sighing as she recalled the memory. "At the time, before I thought better of it, it seemed like a good idea."</p><p>"Maybe in the short term," Jon responded with some hesitation. "But I am glad you came to your senses. There is no way you would have survived that nest of vipers if you have actually pushed him to his death."</p><p>"I figured," She muttered.</p><p>The darker tone their conversation took suddenly shifted when Sansa tasted her first french fries. Her eyes widened as she chewed on it.</p><p>"Wow," She said, sounding impressed. "Definitely more crunchy and delicious than any other style of potatoes I had ever eaten."</p><p>Jon grinned. "Glad you approved. It took a while to cook them right."</p><p>Sansa paused at that. "Wait, you mean you didn't just use your powers to create these dishes for me out of thin air?"</p><p>He shrugged. "As I said before, I want to give you the care you deserve, and wishing the dinner into being when we actually had the time and privacy for once seemed...unnecessary."</p><p>Then he snorted, amused. "Besides, as Tormund said back in the War Council, things becoming too easy is not particularly good for digestion."</p><p>Sansa laughed merrily at that. Then placed her hands in the center of the table, waiting for her lover to hold them. When he did, she looked up and gave him a look of endearment. "Thank you for putting the effort. I really do appreciate it."</p><p>They stayed silent for a long moment at that, holding each other's hands tenderly as they locked eyes with one another. And in that moment, Jon could feel the last of his misgivings weaken as he started to consider an important decision in silence. But before he could let his expression show determination, Sansa broke away and decided to finally enjoy her burger.</p><p>"I have never particularly liked eating messy food that is meant to be eaten without cutlery," Sansa admitted. "But for you, my dear brother, I will make an exception."</p><p>And with that, she gave it a wide bite. She actually moaned at the taste in no time and gave it a second bite shortly thereafter. When his beloved finally swallowed, she gave Jon a thoroughly delighted look.</p><p>"That was easily the best dish I have had in my life," His sister proclaimed. "Hamburgers are amazing!"</p><p>Jon chuckled, pleased. "I love to see you so happy."</p><p>Sansa smile reached her eyes and with radiance at that, but said nothing more as she continued to sate her hunger on her new favorite food. Before long, she was full and, although a few slices of bread remained she was quite satisfied as she played with the stick Jon placed to keep most of the ingredients in.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"Well, my loving brother, I told you I wanted a delicious romantic dinner and I am pleased to say you did not disappoint me," She said with a smirk. "I am full and very tired by now but before we go share our bed, there is something I need to do. So, come here and kiss me."</p><p>And with that, the two siblings snogged each other above the candlelight, reveling in their feelings for one another.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hadn't written something like this in a long time and the clash in eras made it new and different as well. Plus, in case it hasn't been clear by now, English is not my first language. Still, I hope you enjoyed it.</p><p>Well, thanks for reading everyone. Leave a comment if there are any particular highlights that caught your attention, and until next time, see ya.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Morning Sex to Start the Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for all the comments, everyone. As a reward, enjoy this gif-filled chapter :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>After a very long and much-needed slumber, Sansa Stark woke up on the bed.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>She turned around when she noticed Jon was stirring and smiled at him warmly.</p><p>"Good morning," She said with a content sigh.</p><p>He gave a look full of warmth. "Good morning."</p><p>They remained there for a bit longer, silently seeking to extend their time on their shared bed. Then Sansa removed the sheets from her body and she could tell Jon started to remember that she only went to sleep with a comfortable shirt on once her bare pussy came into view again.</p><p>His cock stirred and Sansa didn't fail to notice. She smirked, mischief in her blue eyes as she grabbed his hardening member and massaged it under the white covers, causing him to groan with desire.</p><p>"Jon, would you please make love to me before we leave our bed?" She asked with a loin stirring gaze.</p><p>Her brother couldn't say no to that and he rushed to remove the sheets around him. Sansa inhaled sharply at the sight of her lover in all his naked glory, her own folds dripping in anticipation. Soon, the gorgeous redhead removed her only piece of clothing and threw it away, before turning to the sides and spread her legs for the most important man of her life.</p><p>Then, abruptly, the Lady of Winterfell in exile felt her arousal double in an instant.</p><p>"Hells below!" She swore with a throaty moan as her inner hole got far wetter than before. "What...?"</p><p>Jon shrugged with an innocent look in his eyes. "I didn't want to hurt you, so I needed your lower lips to be like a waterfall."</p><p>And with that, he speared her tight sheath without any warning, hammering away from the start.</p><p>The young woman screamed at the top of her lungs, her senses overwhelmed with pleasure as her head crashed onto the pillow. "YES!!! Just like that! Fuck me faster with your thick cock!"</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>She could quickly tell that Jon had no intention of slowing down. He thrust his member into her core, again and again, groaning in delight as he repeatedly hit the entrance of her womb.</p><p>"I can't get enough of you, sister," He gasped out. "I may be the god here but I'll be damned if your pussy isn't divine in any way."</p><p>Sansa gripped the sheets more tightly as a response, her entire body trembling with pleasure.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"Fuck! Fuck!!! FUCK!!!!!" She chanted in pure, unbridled ecstasy. "I AM GOING TO CUM!!!"</p><p>Jon's response to that was to accelerate his pace, his thrusting member reaching spots inside her that she didn't even know she had before.</p><p>That sent Sansa over the edge, her body seizing up as it climaxed violently.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Jon followed her into orgasmed soon after, shooting out stream after stream of his virile seed into her fertile womb. Moans filled the sexually charged air of the room for a long moment but eventually, he pulled out and collapsed beside her thoroughly fucked body, gasping as he did so.</p><p>"That...was...intense," He said, panting.</p><p>Sansa didn't respond at first, the afterglow of the most spectacular act of sex she had ever experienced rendering her speechless for a while. But eventually, she turned her sweaty face to look at her brother and lover and decided right then and there what she wanted more than anything in this world or any other.</p><p>"Jon," She whispered, her voice brimming with desire. "Would you...?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Any guesses or preferences for how to end that sentence for Sansa? XD</p><p>Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Bonds of their Hearts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, this is the end of Story Arc 3: Power Base. It will also explain one of the hidden rules the bored deity set in place for Jon. Hope you have enjoyed the ride.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>"...marry me?" She begged.</p><p>Jon froze at the abrupt but loaded question. He stared at her with a look that was hard to read and took a moment to compose himself before answering. When he did, his tone of voice was tactful.</p><p>"Sansa," He said slowly, "I love you. I really, really do. But are you sure you are not just saying that because your emotions are high after we just passionately did the deed?"</p><p>Sansa lifted her head from the pillow and stared at him right the eye. "What I am sure of, more than anything, is that I want to spend the rest of my life with you," She replied her tone firm, with a touch of longing. "I want to love you in the open, knowing that I will be loved by you in return. I want to...bear your children," She whispered as she started to tear up, "And raise them alongside you in our ancestral home. Jon, I don't care about the fact that you are my brother. I beg of you, use your new powers somehow to make people okay with our marriage, and then make an honest woman out of me."</p><p>"I..." His voice trail off and Sansa could tell he choked up on a rush of emotions. "I want to. By all the gods in every world, I want to. But..." He broke away, unable to hold her stare.</p><p>Sansa sighed, realizing what was going on.</p><p><em>"My honorable brother did promise himself that he would avoid making wishes that affect the free will of people on a wide scale,"</em> She thought silently. <em>"I guess he is struggling with how to keep his word while following his desires. And mine."</em></p><p>Then, she grinned as she remembered something.</p><p>"Tell you what," The Lady of Winterfell in exile said with a grin. "Don't answer me right now. First, I want you to realize that I have actually been giving this a lot of thought in the week and a half you have been away."</p><p>With that, she reached for the satchel she brought with her to this brand new world on the nightstand. And when Jon raised an eyebrow once she brought out a long piece of parchment, she started to explain.</p><p>"Despite my terrible experiences with betrothals," Sansa began, "I knew I was going to have to marry properly at some point after we dealt with Ramsey because I have been desiring Northern independence from the Iron Throne for a while now and, back when I thought I was the last one left of my family, I knew it was going to need to produce heirs if I managed to become Queen of the North. So, I have actually been analyzing many Northern Houses in secret for a while now in order to examine my best prospects of a political marriage. Preferably with someone that I could at least get along with," She added. "</p><p>"But, after we kissed each other at the top of the Wall," She went on, her cheeks slightly flushed at the memory, "I started writing down my research on the matter. In the end, I went through the 38th biggest Northern Houses, and to tell you the truth, my prospects were pretty bleak," Sansa admitted. "Most of them fell into one of four categories that made a match difficult if not impossible: the candidates from the more powerful Houses would try to usurp me if they were heirs to their respective lines, the weaker Houses wouldn't be able to offer much to Winterfell, some younger sons around my age among the mightier Houses may have been a more sensible choice but most of them were killed in the War of the Five Kings and during the Bolton's reign of terror; or finally, the candidates would simply be way too old for my tastes."</p><p>Jon's eyes widened at her thoroughness and started to see where she was going. But Sansa continued before she gave him a chance to speak.</p><p>"So, I expanded my research," She revealed. "In order to gather a list of the 4-6 biggest houses from each kingdom in search of a potential match, despite not being my main preference by then."</p><p>Then she laughed, amused at how things were turning out. "In retrospect, I was way too generous with those parameters. I did place a higher priority towards the Vale and Riverlands, where I have strong familial bonds and established military alliances. Still, in most cases, a match simply wasn't likely, or even flat-out possible for a number of factors. And after all of that, do you know what I discovered?" She stressed. "That even without counting your new godly powers that are tied to me, you were still a better political and romantic suitor for me than all the dozens of prospects from my list. And let's be real, how could we not count the benefits that your new abilities would bring to our position in Winterfell?" She added.</p><p>Jon said nothing for a very long moment, speechless in more ways than one. Then she delicately placed the parchment in his hands.</p><p>"See for yourself," She pleaded. "I am going to go bathe myself in the pool. When you are done, please meet me on the ground floor.</p><p>And with that, Sansa grabbed a bikini and left Jon alone with his conflicting thoughts.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>About half an hour later, Sansa had finished drying herself with one of the high-quality towels she had found. Then she took a deep breath and walked back inside, trying to hide her nervousness.</p><p>Soon, she found her beloved brother sitting on a couch on the ground floor, the parchment unscrolled and clearly read by his side. He had a pensive look on his face. So much so, in fact, that Sansa wasn't sure if he had noticed her enter the room at first but then he looked up at her and smiled lightly.</p><p>She stared at him for a moment in what she hoped looked like confidence, then placed her hands on her hips and asked him what did he thought.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Jon interlocked his fingers before answering.</p><p>"I think," Jon replied, "That I have never been more aroused by the implications of a piece of paper."</p><p>Sansa grinned at that. "I believe that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said about one of my labors."</p><p>Her brother chuckled briefly. Then, he turned serious, his eyes earnest and...guilty. The redhead frowned. "So, what's the problem?"</p><p>The new god sighed heavily, then snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the enchanted necklace he had made for her appeared in his hands at that moment, following its creator from their room in an instant.</p><p>"The problem is that I have something important to say," He responded. "And I would appreciate it if you knew for sure that I wasn't lying."</p><p>The Lady of Winterfell in exile paused at that, starting to feel worried but hurried to pick up the Direwolf shaped necklace and put it on. Jon remained quiet for a moment, clearly considering where to begin. When he opened his eyes, he looked uncomfortable.</p><p>"Remember when I told you that the god that granted me my abilities said he was going to add a block to these vast powers that could be overcome later on?"</p><p>Sansa nodded, blushing slightly. "So, I take it we have had enough sex by now for those rules to get explained to you, right?"</p><p>"Yes," Jon said as he rubbed his forehead. "And you are not going to like it. The block concerned the rules regarding resurrecting loved ones."</p><p>The redhead's blue eyes widened but said nothing, waiting for Jon to explain himself. And so he locked his gaze with her.</p><p>"The only way I can overcome that block on my powers and start using it to revive those we have lost will be by having children," Jon said. "For every new child of mine that is born, there will be one person we can revive. The thing is...the wall around those powers won't finish shattering until I have had my first child with not one but five women that share my blood."</p><p>When Sansa realized that her necklace was not tingling the back of her neck with the notification of a lie, she remained speechless for a long moment and Jon became unable to meet her gaze, ashamed. </p><p>"What...?" She asked in shock.</p><p>"You heard me," The new god said with a sigh. "Apparently, this being doesn't think I can call myself the Incest God if I only take one relative for a wife. So, you see Sansa, that's why I have been hesitating. I love you, I really do but if we ever want to bring our family back together, then that is going to have to be the price and I couldn't agree to marry you without letting you know what you would be walking into."</p><p>"I...appreciate that," Sansa said slowly. "Are you sure there is no other way?"</p><p>Jon shook his head. "I tried to wish for Robb's revival either in full or by altering the past but my wishes hit a wall every time I tried."</p><p>"I see," Sansa replied, uncertainty in her tone of voice.</p><p>"So, now you know," Jon said with a sigh. "Believe me, the last thing I want to do is break your heart. Not after everything we have shared. And of course, we don't have to focus on reviving our dead family members for a time, or at all if you don't want to. We could just start over and let them stay on the other side. But I need you to understand that while I would gladly use my powers to make it acceptable for us to get married if that's what you truly want, I refuse to bring bastard children into this world and have them suffer that mark of shame as I did. So, if we were to do this, and I am not doing it if you don't agree as well, then I am also going to have to use my abilities to make it acceptable to have 5 wives. I am sorry."</p><p>For a long moment, Sansa said nothing she just stood there, thinking deeply about what she had said while staring at his guilty face. Then she shook her head and got closer to her beloved brother embracing him deeply.</p><p>"This isn't your fault," She said firmly. "It's just the card we have been dealt with. And believe me, I am okay with the price if we can finally reunite our family again."</p><p>John exhaled sharply. "You mean it?" He asked, his voice thick with emotion. "You are not disgusted with me?"</p><p>"I couldn't be disgusted with you, brother," She said with a sniff. "I love you and I can see telling me this was so hard for you. For what is worth, know that it isn't cheating if you have my permission."</p><p>He hugged her more tightly. "It's worth more than you know. I couldn't bear you looking at me with betrayal and disappointment."</p><p>"Then let's make sure we both agree with who we are going to bring into our marriage before any new ceremonies, shall we?" She asked with a smile.</p><p>"Anything for you," Her brother declared. "Thank you. This feels like an enormous weight lifting from my shoulders."</p><p>They remained in each other arms for a long moment. Smelling each other's scents as they comforted each other. Eventually, they broke off and Jon had a determined look on his face.</p><p> "I really do want you by my side, Sansa. So, since the feeling is mutual and I don't want to bring any child of mine the shame associated with being a bastard..."</p><p>He stood up and opened his palm. The Lady of Winterfell in exile gasped when she saw a golden ring with multiple diamonds at the top, beautifully carved into the shape of a flower. Before she could ask what was up with that, Jon began his explanation.</p><p>"I know our wedding ceremonies in the North are usually a simpler affair than in the South," He started. "And in many ways, I enjoy their simplicity. But during my travels across the worlds, I stumbled upon one tradition I would like to adopt if it's all the same to you: to commemorate the formal beginning of the betrothal with a ring...and a most important question."</p><p>And with that, the new god, potentially powerful in ways that Sansa could not even begin to understand, knelt before her. Her heart skipped a beat right then and there but even that couldn't stop the wide, loving smile that was growing across her face. Jon offered her the ring with one hand and looked up at her with more joy in his eyes that she has ever seen.</p><p>"Sansa Stark," He said with reverence, "Would you marry me?"</p><p>Sansa couldn't stop herself from crying in happiness as she offered him her hand.</p><p>"Of course I will, you ridiculous fool," She sniffed.</p><p>Jon looked at her as if she had answered his prayers, which only made her feel more adoration given the circumstances. Then, he tenderly placed the ring on her left hand and rose up.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>And finally, she kissed the man she had bound herself to with all the love and passion that she could place into her lips.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, that finally happened XD</p><p>Thanks for all the support you have given this story so far. You guys are great! </p><p>Oh, in case any of you are interested, I actually based the list of potential suitors Sansa was analyzing on a brilliant, brilliant post on Tumblr called Find Sansa's Husbands. I recommend it to any fan of Jonsa that is hoping the two of them would at least get together in the books before the series ends. Here is the link:</p><p>istumpysk. tumblr .com/ post /615957223588364288 /find-sansas-husband</p><p>Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the final act of Story Arc 3: Power Base. If you did, please leave a comment. I would love to read some additional feedback. And just so you know, the next chapter is actually going to be a very important, plot-centric Interlude between arcs 3 &amp; 4. Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Interlude: Part 1: Secret Society</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Crucial Author Notes: Okay then, this is the first of the two-part Interlude in between story arcs I had mentioned a few times when replying to a few comments. If you want, think of it as the Halloween Special as well, given the time of the year XD </p><p>Let me get a few things out of the way though, if you don't mind: This Interlude will introduce a few more major players, both individually and as an order, that will play a big role in upcoming arcs. And while I based most of the content about said order from characters, to objects they own, leadership, etc from stuff about the show and the books, by and large, this Secret Society based on a Westerosi island notorious for its isolation (about time I mentioned what was up with the Skagos tag, eh?) is a personal creation of mine to enhance my world-building. So, I really hope you are curious to learn more, even if you won't have every single answer by the time the Interlude ends.</p><p>Finally, and this is important, depending on how you look at it, it could be argued that this chapter will illustrate more clearly than the previous ones that when the next to omnipotent entity ended up picking Jon to become the Incest God in this particular timeline, he didn't pick the Jon from the show OR the book reality. More like, a dimension much more similar to the show's timeline but with some elements from the books making it past Season 5 that didn't make the cut in the actual tv series.</p><p>At least, that's one way of looking at it. More explanations will be added to flesh that out in Story Arc 4: Rise of the Dragonwolf. But until then, I hope you enjoy the first half of this Halloween Special. Part two will be released in a few hours. </p><p>Until then, read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>The Haunted Forest coastline: South of Hardhome</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"I am telling you," The shorter soldier hissed to his companion, "This is a terrible, terrible idea!"</p><p>The Skagosi beside him had a look of long-suffering on his face. "Why don't you spend your time telling me something all of us don't already know? Or better yet, actually, use your eyes for the purpose of our expedition instead of your rambling mouth?"</p><p>"Because this is crazy!" He insisted. "Who comes to the Lands Beyond the Wall looking for the walking dead? On purpose?!"</p><p>"People who have <strong>excellent</strong> reasons to follow orders," Came the reply of the leader of their expedition.</p><p>The two soldiers flinched, realizing they had annoyed the versatile Firemage. "Apologies, Lord Stane," The shorter soldier stammered. "I didn't mean to sound like a coward. It's just..."</p><p>"First of all, remember that I am not actually the Lord of House Stane of Skagos," He told him. "I am a third son who chose to join our most vital and secret order when my magical talents bloomed for the second time. Just call me Enforcer Maenag.</p><p>"Yes sir," He responded as he bit his bottom lip.</p><p>The highborn saw that their little discussion had also caught the attention of the other 20 men and women in their expedition and he couldn't help but notice they also looked unnerved even if they didn't want to say anything.</p><p><em>"Although,"</em>  He realized silently as he stared at Zhu and Nadria, <em>"My fellow mages seem to be better at hiding their fears."</em></p><p>Sighing, Maenag decided it was time to address the people he was leading before they headed further inland and the real tests began.</p><p>"Look, we all know we would rather be far away from here but that's not an option," He insisted. "The High Keeper and the Dragon Dreamer's visions actually aligned during the magical quake that flooded our senses nearly a fortnight ago. And after much deliberation, it was unanimously agreed by all the Mages and Keepers that this was the most vivid and detailed vision of the future we had been able to foresee since our order was cut off from the Greenseer Cave for our own protection at the orders of Bloodraven's predecessor."</p><p>"As if that wasn't enough," He went on, "I also felt that magical eruption right to the bones. And I am sure I speak for my sorcerer friends here when I say that it left a memorable impression on them too. That is why when the High Keeper and the Dragon Dreamer announced that after nearly 400 years, the mission our secret order was built on would finally be fulfilled, I believed those omens with every fiber of my being," He declared.</p><p>"He is right," Nadria interjected. "The currents of magic shifted with the power of a mighty flood, heralding the arrival of something higher to rise up against the coming darkness. That can only mean one thing: our prophecied savior has finally ascended into godhood. And after all these centuries of preparation and waiting in isolation, do any of you intend to let him down?"</p><p>The expressions among the island soldiers hardened answered with a determined no. Maenag looked at the olive-skinned Rhoynish water witch and nodded firmly. "What she said," He said with a mild smile, unsheathing his black dagger with one hand and his borrowed Valyrian Steel Blade with the other so that they could see them. "Now, our orders are clear: verify if our old records about dragonglass and Valyrian steel being lethal to wights and walkers were actually accurate. If so, then we will have even more to contribute to our promised prince since Skagos has a large supply of obsidian. But we have never been able to put that notion to the test, which is why our mission here is so important. After that, and only after that, we head to the ship under Captain Snowaters at full speed. Is that clear?"</p><p>The soldiers stood straighter and clenched their fists as if daring the servants of death to appear before them so they could punch them in the face. The Firemage imagined they would get their chance soon enough.</p><p><em>"Well then,"</em> He thought to himself, after raising their morale a bit. <em>"Time to practice the magical talent from my mother's side."</em></p><p>"I am going to warg into one of those birds over there," The highborn said as he pointed at some crows flying nearby. "In order to search for the risen dead. In the meantime, guard my body," He commanded.</p><p>The soldiers readied their dragonglass blades and spears, as a response and bowed. Satisfied, the leader of the expedition sat down on a boulder that jutted out of the snow.</p><p>And his eyes began to pale.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Eventually, the half-Skagosi warg was done skin-changing and looked around. Everyone was accounted for and ready for action.</p><p><em>"Good,"</em> he thought grimly. <em>"We will need it."</em></p><p>"I saw a small scouting party of around 9 wights heading in this direction, just behind that snowy hill," The Firemage announced, as pointed at the small mountain less than a mile from them.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>He paused for a moment before just getting it over with. "And...they are lead by a real White Walker.</p><p>Uncertainty gripped their features. Maenag didn't blame them. After all, the walking corpses were bad enough as it was but the ice monsters that enslaved them were something else entirely if their lore was any indication. But his own expression didn't falter.</p><p>"We are unlikely to get a better chance than this one so close to the ship," He stressed. "We need to take it. So, this is what we are going to do: we will move as fast and silently as we can around that hill, and then we are going to outflank our enemies. Most of you will go from one side and concentrate on shattering their shambling corpses with dragonglass in an ambush, preferably fast as that would mean our suspicions could be proven right," The member of House Stane ordered. "My fellow mages and I will handle the walker," He assured them, trying to keep his tone neutral. "But we will need three strong and brave volunteers to watch our backs as we engage that foul demon. Any takers?" He asked as he raised his voice.</p><p>At first, no one actually did. But soon, the three tallest soldiers of the expedition took a step forward. Maenag took a moment to analyze the courage in their faces before remembering the 7 and a half feet tall men were from a special bloodline of vassals from House Crowl, from the southern tip of Skagos. The warg firesage suppressed a grimace.</p><p><em>"Lord Crowl will never let me hear the end of it if I get so many of their remaining prized fighters killed that happen to be blood of the Giants,"</em> He realized as he bit his bottom lip. <em>"But we have more important things to worry about right now. Besides, he refused to provide unicorn mounts for our mission, saying we needed stealth on this one more than speed. I can always remind him of that folly if it comes to that."</em></p><p>"Very well, then we all know what to do and what's at stake," The leader of the expedition said solemnly. "Let's go."</p><p>And with that, they marched into the jaws of death.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Nadria Sand shivered yet again as they neared the hill. While she had gotten used to the weather of Skagos in the years since the Secret Society adopted her, the cold in snowy lands beyond the Wall was starting to get to her. She sighed.</p><p><em>"Dorne is certainly much warmer than this,"</em> She thought wistfully.</p><p>Then she blinked as something occurred to her that she hadn't fully considered. If the purpose of their order is getting fulfilled in her lifetime, then the second Long Night is coming. And if she managed to survive the conflict after doing her part to help their prophecied savior, she may be able to return to her homeland now that her years of service would be at an end.</p><p>The Dornish woman adjusted her furred cloak as the frosty winds of the Lands of Always Winter buffeted her conflicted face. To be honest with herself, she had never really thought she would be released from her services to the secret order that took her in and saved her from starvation. After all, many generations of Keepers, Mages, and Stoneborn had come and gone since the Doom of Valyria. She had no reason to suspect the omens would converge on her lifetime.</p><p>But now that they had, the young woman couldn't help but wonder what she would do with her life should they survive the upcoming invasion of the Army of the Dead. True, the order wouldn't have taken her in if they hadn't figured out that she possessed the innate spark of the Rhoynish water wizards, that has been so rare ever since the Dragonlords destroyed Ancient Rhoynar, forcing Princess Nymeria to flee to Dorne with her people before taking over the country once she married into House Martell. Nevertheless, they had tried their hardest to help her fulfill her potential, fed, clothed her, made her feel welcomed in Skagos. There would be plenty of people she would sorely miss if she returned to her distant home as a grown woman and never saw them again.</p><p>Starting with the Dragon Dreamer...</p><p>Shaking her head, Nadria tried to focus on the road ahead but her thoughts would keep turning back to Dorne. And eventually, she scowled as she remembered another enormous problem over there.</p><p>"I still can't believe House Martell has been all but destroyed," She muttered angrily under her breath. "And by traitors to both their country and their trust, no less."</p><p>Water witch took a deep breath, trying to soothe her outrage as she paid attention to the cold.</p><p><em>"This line of thought can wait,"</em> She told to herself. <em>"I need to focus on not getting killed."</em></p><p>All the same, she decided that, once she returned, she would have an important conversation with her lover, after they warmed themselves up by scissoring each other to climax.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Zhu of Tiqui, studied the landscape with his gaze as they approached their side of the mountain. And even though he determined he was right, the young man sighed, his slanted eyes closing for a moment. He would always be grateful to the Order of the Emerald Weirwood for rescuing him from dying at the hands of that angry mob after they discovered his magical powers but when he agreed to leave the distant lands of Yi Ti to serve them, for they had granted Zhu a place to belong in Skagos, going to a frozen wasteland to seek out the forces of death wasn't what he had in mind.</p><p><em>"Who would have thought,"</em> He said silently and grimly, <em>"That I would not only live to see the second coming of the Long Night but play a part in it after all the thousands of years that have passed since the effects of the first one shattered the Great Empire of the Dawn."</em></p><p>He brooded, and not for the first time wondered with a shiver if the dreaded Night King, was actually the legendary Bloodstone Emperor reborn. It had been too long to say for sure what was the relation between them was. However, some of the Keepers he had discussed the topic with suspected that since the lands of Yi Ti and Westeros were so far apart, it was unlikely that the Bloodstone Emperor was the same being as the Night King that terrorized Westeros over 8000 years earlier. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if there was some sort of connection, if only in regards to the fact they were champions of dark gods.</p><p><em>"Or perhaps the same dark god,"</em> Zhu thought solemnly as he remembered the recorded lessons from the priest of R'hllor that he read on the order's archives. <em>"Assuming the Great Other is the one that influenced them but by different names."</em></p><p>He was snapped out of his thoughts by Nadria getting closer and placing a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and looked at the witch that was part of the expedition to Yi Ti that ended up saving his life. He smiled lightly.</p><p>"What is it?" He whispered.</p><p>"Just wanted to know if you think the terrain would be good enough to allow you to use your magic," She asked him.</p><p>He nodded, understanding her concern.</p><p>"The land is quite frozen and wet," Zhu agreed. "But the rocky ground is close enough to the surface, so I will still be able to manipulate the earth. I can feel it."</p><p>"Good," She said, somewhat nervously. "I have a feeling we will need all the power we can muster."</p><p>The Yi Tian didn't disagree with her as they stopped behind the hill. Then Maenag told them to get to their positions while they waited for the scout to return from the higher ground. They readied their arms and stayed alert, watching their immediate surroundings in search of danger. Before long, he climbed back down and nodded, looking like he had just seen a ghost.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>It wasn't much of a stretch, given the circumstances.</p><p>Maenag Stane hardened his expression and took his position beside Nadria and him, the trio of tall guards close behind. The remaining 17 soldiers steeled their hearts and gripped their dragon glass weapons tight. Then, the Warging Firemage ignited a flame around his fist and raised it above his head.</p><p>He had opted not to yell, for that would alert the enemy of their position. Zhu could easily imagine his battle cry all the same. The men moved faster and the Stone Mage followed his comrades to battle.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, I know this was a lot of exposition but I needed to dive into some things in order to kickstart these major developments that will be crucial for the coming Story Arcs. Sorry if this chapter and its characters seemed a bit random to you but well, I did say it was an Interlude earlier, and usually, those kinds of chapters do not involve the main cast you have been following by then.</p><p>So, I imagine you have plenty of questions and I will be happy to answer some of them but for those that found this chapter a little too mysterious for their liking, know that everything I added here had a purpose that will have some form of pay off later on in the plotline. Nothing gets wasted here and I assure you the answers to many of these enigmas regarding the Secret Society will be provided at the very earliest opportunity and made to fit with the context of the chapters that have been released so far.</p><p>Still, I hope you enjoyed this chapter enough to be intrigued about the future of the plotline. And again, if you have any questions, feel free to let me know and I will strive to provide acceptable answers that don't spoil all the surprises.</p><p>Oh and, regarding Yi Ti, that area is like the far east of Essos. It's not mentioned in the show but they had their own version of the Long Night way back when, as I explained in the chapter. As for the whole deal with water magic, yes, it is considered canon to the books that the Rhoynar ancestors of the Dornish people had water wizards before being defeated by Old Valyria. Obviously, their numbers have dropped considerably since then but yeah, that's a thing.</p><p>Anyway, thanks for the support so far. Leave a comment if something caught your attention, and until next time guys, see ya!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Interlude: Part 2: Unintended Consequences</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the second half of the Interlude then. I hope you enjoy it. Also, I will have some announcements at the end. But until then, have fun :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>After the majority of the warriors ambushed the group of wights, the wizards under Maenag Stane were ready to make their move. Rushing around the corner to engage them from the flank, he noticed that the sudden attack had caught the attention of the White Walker leading the scouting party.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>While his back was turned to them on his way to butcher the approaching men with his ice magic sword, the Enforcer removed his glove, steeled his mind, and summoned a fireball with his magic around his palm, quickly striking the frost monster with it on the back of his head. He stumbled momentarily, then turned around to stare at his opponent.</p><p>For a moment, they stared at each other while their forces meet in battle. The ice demon had a look of utter indifference or glacial contempt, Maenag wasn't sure which but he took it as the time to unsheath the Valyrian Steel blade he had been allowed to borrow for their Order's vault for the mission ahead.</p><p>He pointed <em>Lamentation</em> at him and gave him the most infuriatingly arrogant smile he could muster. The walker narrowed its eyes so slightly he almost didn't notice but soon, the icy abomination ran towards him with his unholy weapon in hand.</p><p>Which was exactly what Maenag had wanted.</p><p>When the icy devil jumped with inhuman agility and tried to cut him down, the physically robust wizard held his ground with his Valyrian Steel in a defensive position. But at that moment, the ice demon was hit by a large boulder, almost as tall as him.</p><p>The rock partially shattered on impact but it actually managed to daze the monster and made him fall to one knee. Still, he would have recovered quickly, if it wasn't for the fact that the snow below him suddenly turned to water, making the ambushed White Walker slip and fall on his back, his magical weapon stumbling out of his hands. The Skinchanger Firemage barely had time to give a nod of thanks to Zhu and Nadria before he raised <em>Lamentation</em> above his head and brought it down with all his might.</p><p>The half-skagosi couldn't help but feel satisfaction swell within him as he saw surprise enter the White Walker's face for the first time, right before it crumbled into broken ice.</p><p>For a long, pregnant moment the wasteland was as silent as a grave, the implications of what he had just done starting to sink in. Then his victorious smile got even wider when he looked around and saw that the dragonglass weapons had made short work of the ambushed dead. The operation was a complete success and the men couldn't stop themselves from shouting in a celebratory tune.</p><p>It was a few seconds later when their cheers were cut short by a bloodcurdling, shrieking wail that Maenag realized what a grave error that was.</p><p>He looked around frantically for the source of the sound, the companions around him doing the same. Then...they heard the loud, thumping sound of frenzied marching, and the Warging Firemage froze when he looked at the mountain pass to his right.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"RUN!" He ordered at the top of his lungs. "Back to the ship! Everyone, back to the ship!"</p><p>That snapped the Skagosi warriors out of their paralyzing dread and they started to hurry back the way they came, desperate to outrun the dead. Only when he was sure his fellow mages were on the run as well, did the current Enforcer of the Order of the Emerald Weirwood gave himself permission to flee for his life.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>The hunt was on after that point. The ship was only about a mile away but the horde of wights was at least several hundred strong at that point and single-minded in their pursuit: the brutal slaughter of their group.</p><p>Two warriors had already fallen before the expedition could run a hundred steps, their forms consumed as the dead trampled all over them. And the horrifying sight was a grotesque but effective motivator to move as fast as humanly possible.</p><p>But it wasn't to last. The terrain was rough and frozen and the men had just fought an intense, if brief, skirmish against a foe from their most terrifying legends. They hadn't been prepared for such a sudden, fast-paced retreat and with fear gripping their hearts, many were bound to stumble or commit other mistakes.</p><p>Four men were ripped apart after they stumbled and fell on the snow, the restless corpses descending upon them before they could rise again. About halfway to the bay, a group of seven warriors near the back actually tried to make a stand, no doubt hoping the newfound effectiveness of their dragonglass weapons would give them an edge and or perhaps scare them off for long enough. The wights didn't even slow down in their attempts to slaughter them, although the soldiers did manage to quickly dispatch twice their number before being overwhelmed.</p><p>By the time the dead were done with them, that short and bloody scene proved to be a terrible but ultimately useful distraction, for the remaining 10 members of the expedition were finally close to the ship. Maenag raised his hands and yelled at them as loudly as he could for the crew of Captain Snowaters to prepare to set sail, his shouts echoing across the landscape. The men within the carrack seemed to get the message, for he could spot a frenzy of activity to try to get the ship ready and they lowered the ramp.</p><p>But then, just as it was looking like they may arrive in time, a long, icy spear flew at lightning speed and impaled Zhu right in the back. Nadria screamed in shock and horror, and the Skinchanger Firemage turned back so fast he ended up hurting his neck.</p><p>And then, his blood chilled when he saw the one responsible, as he climbed down from his very dead horse.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>The Enforcer paled at the sight and he knew immediately that this was no mere walker as he noticed the icy spikes that resembled a crown atop its head.</p><p>The Night King had chosen to personally enter the field. And as much as a part of him would have loved to cut its head off with his Valyrian Steel blade for killing his mage friend, he knew he would never be able to get close enough. Which meant there was only one thing to do.</p><p>"BACK TO THE SHIP!" He roared at the paralyzed group. "Run like if your very souls depend on it because they just might!"</p><p>They didn't need any more encouragement. Maenag could hear Nadria curse as she left Zhu's corpse behind, wiping a tear from her face as she hurried. The Warging Firemage gave the Night King one last glare before doing the same.</p><p>A couple of minutes, later, the ramp was closed and the crew rushed to turn the ship around. The Rhoynish woman actually managed to help with that by using her magic to move the currents in their favor, stringing the ship along. But as Maenag turned back he frowned when he realized the dead had stopped following even before they could leave the shore and the Night King wasn't focusing on sinking the ship with another powerful spear.</p><p>Instead, he was looking at the fallen Yi Tian. And then, he raised his arms in concentration.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>The Enforcer knew, with sudden dread, what was about to happen but even then, he was dismayed to see his old friend rise up as a slave of the Army of the Dead, his slanted eyes turning blue. However, his dismay turned to shock when the new wight moved his arms in peculiar ways.</p><p><em>"Wait..."</em> The half-skagosi thought as his eyes widened sharply, <em>"Is he trying to...?"</em></p><p>His suspicions were confirmed a boulder learned to fly and moved to attack them.</p><p>"Look out!" He shouted but it was too late.</p><p>The large rock ended up hitting two of the three hulking members of the expedition that possessed Giant's blood in their ancestry, smashing them overboard. He gasped and looked down. The men were nowhere to be seen among the freezing waters but at least the boulder hadn't made a hole on the ship.</p><p>As the vessel turned around, the leader of the expedition decided he wasn't interested in giving his former friend-turned-foe a second opportunity.</p><p>"Nadria!" He called, yelling over the cacophony of noises the dead were making. "Get us out of here!"</p><p>The Water witch hesitated for a moment but then her gaze hardened and she started chanting in Ancient Rhoynar. By the time the next boulder was aimed at the ship, a powerful burst of water propelled the vessel forward much faster than it would have on the wind of sails alone. The Warging Firemage turned back to look at the large rock missing its target, and unless becoming a wight had somehow increased the potency of Zhu's Stone magic by a wide margin, he wouldn't be able to reach them from then on.</p><p>But then, destiny saw it fit to chill his blood one last time.</p><p>Maenag Stane blinked rapidly trying to make sure he had not imagined what he was seeing. He couldn't be certain because of the distance but...was the Night King <strong>smiling</strong>?</p><p>As their forms grew smaller in the distance, the Enforcer had a feeling he would never know for sure. But the possibility filled him with concern, for obvious reasons.</p><p>Eventually, Nadria couldn't hold the spell any longer and she collapsed on her knees, gasping for breath. He approached his fellow practitioner of the Higher Mysteries and placed a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>"Are you okay?" He asked in concern.</p><p>"I'll live," She said, out of breath. "But I feel like I could sleep for a week."</p><p>"Not surprising," He said as he turned to examine the distance she crossed them through. "You saved us all with the power you hold. Thank you."</p><p>"Just...don't ask me to do that again anytime soon," She pleaded as she rose to her feet.</p><p>"I won't," He assured her and he helped her get up.</p><p>Then they were silent for a long moment, looking at the faces of the survivors and noticing the absence of many of their comrades. Less than half of the expedition managed to return.</p><p>"The mission was a success," Maenag said in a tired tone. "Still, it came with a bigger cost than I expected."</p><p>"Zhu is one of them now," Nadria sniffed. "He made us promise to burn him if he died on the mission. And we failed him."</p><p>The Firemage nodded gravely. "I know. And I will carry that regret with me forever. This is why, I vow to you now that I will do my best to fulfill our promise if we see him again, even if I have to find a way to harness enough fire to burn a White Walker to ash."</p><p>The young woman teared up and hugged her old friend, who embraced her in turn. They tried to comfort each other after that harrowing experience for a few moments but eventually, Maenag had to break away and went to look for the captain. He found her examining the hull of their carrack, the young but physically strong woman turning back to him when she noticed his approach. She scowled.</p><p>"We almost end up at the bottom of the Shivering Sea," Captain Snowaters stated as she brushed away a lock of silver-gold hair. "And on one of my best ships no less. What exactly was that barrage? Did the dead learn how to make catapults?"</p><p>Maenag sighed as he looked at the secret member of House Velaryon. "It was Zhu," He said simply.</p><p>The captain's eyes widened at that. "Oh. I am sorry to hear that."</p><p>"You and me both," He muttered. "Will the ship be able to sail?:</p><p>"Thankfully we managed to avoid a breach in the hull, so yes," She replied, her grey-green eyes confident. </p><p>"Good, because speed is of the essence," The wizard declared.</p><p>Then he turned around and address the gathered crew.</p><p>"We suffered heavy losses," He said grimly. "But their sacrifice was not in vain, for now, we know for sure that we are better equipped than most in the North for the war to come."</p><p>The crewmen and the remaining soldiers nodded solemnly, remaining in stoic silence. Then he sighed.</p><p>"There are dark days ahead, but thankfully, our omens speak of bright possibilities as well," The Enforcer reminded them. "Now, let's head back to Skagos at full speed. We have much to report to the Keepers of the Order of the Emerald Weirwood...and it's time to prepare for Jon Snow's arrival. It seems our prophecied savior has ascended just in time."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, this is the end of the Interlude. It mostly served the purpose of setting up several plot developments and characters that will be important going forward but since I was world-building this part from different pieces of lore across both the show and the books, it was bound to have quite a bit of exposition at first. Hopefully, it wasn't too confusing. But don't worry, everything will make sense in time.</p><p>Now, for the announcement: this is officially the last chapter I had completed ahead of schedule. It was originally going to be 41 but I ended up combining some of the short chapters where it fit so we got to that part faster. As a result, from here on out, don't expect so many daily updates. Also, as I said on Chyoa, I had scheduled a break until early December because of some work-related things I had to do, plus I wanted to take advantage of that break to do some selective rereading of the ASOIAF books to refresh my memory for the sake of my plans.</p><p>However, me getting COVID has put a wrench in those plans, not so much because I am too sick (feeling a bit better every day) but because now I am forced to remain home for the next 2 weeks and a half. So, in light of these changes in plans, I am going to keep updating new chapters during this period at my pace. The break I need will come later so I can spend part of it outside doing the things I need to finish. But until then, I hope you enjoy however far we will get into Story Arc 4, ahead of schedule.</p><p>Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this interlude, and remember, comments are even more important now that I have exhausted my chapter reserves for they will serve as fuel to power up my motivation. Hope to hear from you soon.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Story Arc Four: A Storm of Snow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, here comes the first chapter of Story Arc 4. Hope you like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Jon Snow moved through a fog of white on the back of his Ice Dragon, using the cover of the clouds above to scout the situation of the Siege of Ironrath from above.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>With his newly enhanced eyesight, the new god could see the signs of battle still evident across the hardened, ironwood walls but there were also signs of archers, boulders, and boiling oil that had been thrown from above, in an effort to repel the invaders from House Whitehill. And Jon noted that the way the keep was constructed made the narrow path to the gate a killing field, should the defenders at the wall be well equipped and properly motivated.</p><p>Making note of the troop numbers within so that he could report it back to his army later, he turned his gaze from his hiding spot in the sky to look at the army of Bolton loyalists that had been besieging his bannermen for months on end.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Looking down from above, he saw the Whitehill forces surrounding the area. Many in their suits of armor as they patrolled the area but many others in their tents and Jon got the impression they were getting bored of all the waiting. His suspicions seemed confirmed when he realized they had left their rear completely exposed to attack, which was the direction where his own army would come from.</p><p>Still, as he adjusted his improved eyes, he could also see the men finishing construction of what appeared to be a new battering ram and they were pushing it towards a middle-age Lord on horseback who could only be the treacherous Ludd Whitehill.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p><em>"Huh, seems like they are going to try to make another assault at the gate later today,"</em> Jon thought to himself.<em> "Perhaps they have learned we are close by and they don't want to take any chances. In which case, we better hurry."</em></p><p>And with that, Jon urged his flying mount to move through the clouds the way they came.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The new god landed less than 5 minutes later, after making sure there were no Whitehill scouts close by. He was greeted by his beloved sister, Lady Lyanna Mormont, Chieftess Magash Char, Princess Val, and the Forrester bastards. Jon informed them that he could confirm the numbers of their last scouting report along with the news of the battering ram. He also told them their rear was completely exposed. After a brief discussion, it was agreed that the time was right to attack.</p><p>"I will smash through their lines with frost-flame on my way to Riverrun, then," Jon said. "That should make things easy enough for our forces."</p><p>"Agreed," Princess Val replied before turning back to her personal guard of spearwives. "Are you ready to show these treacherous southerners what we are made off?!" She demanded.</p><p>Her loyalists slammed their spears into their shields as a response, which made many other Free Folk in the area grin and raise their fists. Jon smirked.</p><p>"That's good," He noted. "I should arrive at Riverrun by nightfall, just be certain you have broken the siege by then. If I manage to acquire Blackfish's support, I will need to be sure the weirwood tree within the Forrester's godswood is safe enough to transport his forces from the godswood at Riverrun."</p><p>Sansa nodded in understanding. "We will take care of it. Anything else?"</p><p>"Well, now that you mention it if some soldiers surrender into captivity, make sure you give them the option to join the Night's Watch," Jon reminded. "They are too undermanned as it is, considering the circumstances. Except for Lord Ludd Whitehill himself that is. I have a feeling House Forrester will want to take care of him their own way after all the pain he has put them through."</p><p>No one raised an objection at that line of thought. So, Jon addressed his troops and raised <em>Longclaw.</em></p><p>"To victory!" He roared.</p><p>The new god had barely taken off to the sky with his Ice dragon before his forces started yelling as they ran the last half a mile of distance from around the corner of the mountain.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>When Jon finally allowed the enemy army to see him approach from above, there was a moment of paralytic dread as it suddenly started to sink in that they had a dragonrider as an enemy. Then the soldiers from the rear started fleeing in the opposite direction, directly towards Ironrath, shouts of alarm resounding through their camp. Jon then focused on the mental bond he forged with the great dragon through one of his wishes and hardened his face, remembering all the burned farms and robbed refugees they found on the way.</p><p>"The time has come to punish these cruel traitors, girl," He told her firmly. "Attack!"</p><p>And with that, the Ice Dragon opened its maw, an eruption of frost-flame crashing against the ground.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>The ice-cold blast was powerful enough to freeze the hearts and lungs of large groups of soldiers at a time, making them collapse on the ground on the spot as frost-covered corpses. Pandemonium broke out after that. With soldiers trying to flee in the direction of the castle, irrationally trying to seek safety in the keep of their enemies.</p><p>Jon repeated the blast 4 more times, wreaking havoc across their ranks in the process and felling over a fourth of their forces on their own before he saw that his much larger army was finally within striking distance of the camp. Deciding they could handle the rest and waiting to give some of their greener soldiers the opportunity to fight now that the odds were firmly in their favor, Jon changed the direction of his flying mount and headed south, towards Riverrun. </p><p>His soldiers cheered as they saw him soar past them and, fittingly, the ice dragon roared in response. Jon grinned at that, petting her neck. </p><p>"Good job, girl!" The new dragonrider said with enthusiasm. "Most of our forces will surely survive the battle thanks to you."</p><p>She let out a low rumble from her throat, but she sounded pleased. Then Jon paused, realizing something.</p><p>"We have to pick a name for you."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, that was the beginning of the end of the Siege of Ironrath and as you can see, it's gonna be a short battle for obvious reasons :D</p><p>Some of the images and gifs from the siege were straight out of the Telltale game. I hope you like them, along with the chapter itself.</p><p>Well, I hope you have fun because my pace is slowing down from this chapter onwards. I will still try my best to keep you entertained as fast as possible though. And of course, comments certainly help me get there faster in that regard. Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. The End of the Siege</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>For those that had been interested in the House Forrester angle that I have been developing, this should be an enjoyable chapter. If so, feel free to let me know XD</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Less than half an hour later, Sansa Stark was entering the wide-open gates of Ironrath on the back of her direwolf, to the tumultuous cheers of the crowds within. She was accompanied by Lady Lyanna Mormont and Princess Val as she did so, with Chieftess Magash staying outside to guard the Whitehill captives that surrendered in case they tried anything. Given the looks of fear they shot her hammer-wielding giants, however, Sansa doubted they would.</p><p>As the masses expressed their joy at the end of the siege, they were greeted by a robust man with a scarred face that marked him as a survivor.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>He looked very pleased to see them. "Lady Sansa Stark," He said, bowing profusely as he did so. "I hadn't seen you since the celebration of your 10th nameday at Winterfell. Feels like a lifetime ago."</p><p>"That it does, Lord Rodrik," The redhead replied. "But not so long as to forget that social contracts between lieges and vassals go both ways. That's why we came to your aid now that we are finally starting to strike back against the Boltons. Sorry it took so long."</p><p>"No need for apologies, my Lady," The young man assured her. "You kept to the end of your vows at our time of need, and House Forrester will never forget that. I will make sure of that."</p><p>"Good," She said with a satisfied nod. "Because we have much to discuss about the current state of affairs in the North and what can be done about it. But first, I believe there is something you have been dreaming about doing for months. Allow me to help you fulfill it."</p><p>With that, Sansa waved her hand without looking back, and before long, Josera and Elsera Snow were bringing Lord Ludd Whitehill through the gates. Lord Rodrik looked immensely pleased with watching his bitter foe in chains. When he turned to look at his late father's bastards, however, he froze and blinked as if he couldn't believe his eyes. Sansa tilted her head at that, realizing that he knew who they were. Before she could formally introduce them, however, a handsome young warrior turned around the corner and started to approach them, a wide smile on his lips.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"It seems like we have finally weathered this storm," He said, clearly in a great mood. "And ah, Lord fucking Ludd, it is so good to see you again after your numerous attempts on my life," The man added with a smirk. "The chains aren't too uncomfortable, I hope?"</p><p>The Lord of Highpoint spat to the ground in his direction but said nothing. Rodrik took that moment to begin his half of the introductions.</p><p>"My Ladies, this is my brother Asher Forrester," He explained. "Finest warrior in all of Ironrath and my trusted right hand. We wouldn't have lasted so long under siege without his initiative overseeing our defenses."</p><p>"Pleased to meet you," Sansa said politely, a sentiment that was echoed by Lady Lyanna.</p><p>When she caught him staring a bit longer at Princess Val, however, the redhead noticed that Asher ended up shrugging once the gorgeous blonde rolled her eyes at him.</p><p>"As I was saying," Sansa continued. "I imagine you have dreamt of bringing this traitor to justice for a long time now, so, consider him our gift to House Forrester. Just remember that whoever passes the sentence should be the one to swing the sword."</p><p>"Believe me, Lady Stark, that is not something I am likely to forget after everything," Lord Rodrik assured her.</p><p>But then, he focused on his half-brothers and took a step further to look at them more closely. Asher seemed confused by that.</p><p>"Elsera, Josera...is it really you?" He asked in an emotional tone.</p><p>The siblings looked surprised at that. "You know who we are?"</p><p>"Father told me about you about a year before the Red Wedding and of your mission to the North Grove," Rodrik replied slowly. "I also saw the painting he made of you and kept in secret. I...I am sorry we never got the chance to grow up together."</p><p>The magic-wielding bastards glance at each other for a long moment, as if unable to believe they were getting this sort of reaction.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Asher, however, had a more understandable look of shock.</p><p>"Wait, these two are our brothers?!" He asked, his eyes wide</p><p>"Yes," Sansa confirmed, taking that moment to step in. "And they are a big part of the reason why we gathered our forces and came to their family's aid."</p><p>The first in line to the seat of Ironrath seemed at a loss for words for a long moment, clearly being taken off guard by this revelation. But then a wide grin crossed his features and before anyone could react, he pulled his two new siblings in a big hug.</p><p>"Ha! I don't care if you are bastards," He said in a cheerful tone. "You came to our aid at our darkest hour. That makes you one of us, now and forever!"</p><p>The former guardians of the North Grove were taken aback by his outburst but before long, they returned his embrace, their own smiles growing wider. Sansa herself couldn't help but grin at the sight, being reminded of her own bastard half-brother and her opinion of House Forrester raising considerably at that open display of affection.</p><p><em>"I am glad we came,"</em> She thought in delight.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>A couple of hours later once the mop-up operations of the battlefield were over, their forces had gathered outside along with the people of Ironrath. It had been decided that the 73 soldiers who surrendered, would be allowed to take the Black so as to reinforce the Night's Watch depleted ranks, including Ludd's fourth son, Gryff Whitehill. The 74th survivor, however, would not be granted that mercy. As Lord Ludd was sentenced to death for his crimes against House Forrester, Lord Rodrik himself unsheathed his ancestral greatsword and asked if he had any final words.</p><p>"You only won this fight because wildlings and traitors came to your aid." He spat. "That doesn't make your House stronger than mine. So, by the terms that Ramsey Bolton decreed when our forces went to war, House Whitehill should have emerged victorious."</p><p>"That's where you and that sadistic monster are wrong, Ludd," Rodrik declared. "Treachery may grant you short-term gains but it will always turn countless people against you because your word will mean nothing to them in the long run. Yet those with loyal friends and allies are the ones with true strength."</p><p>And with that, the Lord of House Forrester swung his blade and executed his defeated enemy.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>There was a long silence from the crowds of Ironrath as the menace that had been looming over them for most of the year was finally taken care of. Then they cheered for their Lord loudly, their chants resonating across the field. Rodrik waited until they quiet down a bit before addressing his people.</p><p>"Aye, the siege has ended, but the main source of our troubles is still defiling the halls of Winterfell with his foul presence," He proclaimed.</p><p>Then the scarred but determined Lord stared at Sansa with fire in her eyes. "And in our hour of greatest need, it's rightful defenders came to our aid. That is why I, Lord Rodrik of House Forrester am proud to renew my oaths of my loyalty to House Stark, the true rulers of Winterfell, from this day until my last day! Together, we will reclaim the North!"</p><p>This time, the cheering masses were joined by many on Sansa's army, the deafening echoes thundering across the road.</p><p>And the Lady of Winterfell in exile began to smile.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you had fun with this one! And for those that had played the Telltale game, assume that the reason both Asher and Rodrik are alive in this is that, in this alternate universe, their advisor didn't turn traitor, which in turn made sure certain tactics worked better for their benefit. Anyway, leave a comment if something caught your attention, and until next time guys, see ya!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0037"><h2>37. Upon Wings of Ice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wasn't actually going to update tonight but I found a good spot to end the chapter early. This will be brief and to the point but it will have a few things I suspect you will enjoy. So, for now, have fun!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>When dusk was finally approaching and the day had turned darker, Jon Snow had crossed an enormous distance. He had been exhilarated most of the way, as he had to admit that seldom had he felt more alive than when soaring majestically through the clouds. However, shortly after crossing the Neck that divided the North from the Riverlands, he came across a sight that enraged him so much his own dragon started growling, seething as she slowed down the pace.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"The Twins," Jon muttered darkly as he glared at the fortressed crossing from above. "This is where the Red Wedding happened."</p><p>The Ice Dragon, perhaps responding to his state of mind, elected to fly higher so that she could hide within a cloud while giving him time to process his emotions. Jon caressed the scaled neck of his smart mount as he allowed the anger he had to bury while inside the Night's Watch to rush back to the surface. Robb may have been his half-brother but he was also his best friend. He was a great man and would have made an even better king had his reign been longer. And he was slaughtered like an animal in an act of naked, shameless treachery.</p><p>His fury was then lessened as a sudden thought crossed his mind, however.</p><p><em>"It is said that those who break the guest rights, incur the wrath of the gods, old and new,"</em> Jon reminded himself. <em>"And now that I have become a new god, I could be included in that list."</em></p><p>The ascended human thought about the ramifications of that long and hard, feeling extremely tempted to personally bring down the fury of the gods on House Frey and avenge Robb with one stroke. In the end, however, he decided he couldn't bring himself to do that. He knew for a fact that there were some Freys that were kept in the dark about the Red Wedding, not to mention all the women and children inside the Twins. Walder Frey and most of his men deserved fearsome punishment and Jon will make sure they get it one way or another but he vowed to himself that he wouldn't execute the innocent along with the guilty in a moment of blind rage.</p><p><em>"I won't be that kind of god,"</em> He thought to himself with a nod. <em>"Although..."</em></p><p>He stared at the river around the twin castles again and an idea came to him. Smirking, he focused on the new mental bond he forged with his she-dragon and feed the instructions to her. The Ice Dragon roared at that and descended immediately to the river. When she had sufficiently lowered herself she opened her sky blue maw and fired frost-flame at the water. Jon steadily guided her aim, writing down a message while guards at the walls of the keep shouted in terror. In under half a minute the pillars of ice were ready and Jon decided his work was done for now. Petting his mighty companion once more, he urged her to continue south and she took off like a lightning bolt, as swiftly as her powerful wings would carry them.</p><p>"Justice is coming for you, House Frey," Jon vowed to the wind. "But it will be on my terms. Make your peace with the gods you angered, while you still can."</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Lord Walder Frey, the elderly ruler of the Twins and infamous Kingslayer approached the balcony of his Keep to stare at the water. His servants had assured him an Ice Dragon, of all things, had been sighted near the castle and started blasting the waterway with frost. He almost had them flogged for waking him up from his nap with such nonsense but the looks of absolute terror in the faces of his useless grandchildren made him pause.</p><p>Now, after looking down from the walls, he started to see why they looked so frightened. Walder swallowed heavily as he stared at the pillars of ice in the shape of letters and felt a large chill of fear run across his spine.</p><p>For the river on his domain had been carved with the words "THE NORTH REMEMBERS".</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, do you think that was crystal clear enough for Walder Frey? XD</p><p>Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, despite the short length. Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0038"><h2>38. Fields of Frost</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, here is the next chapter. Three guesses as to what's the reference from the chapter's title :D</p><p>Hope you like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Barely an hour later, Jon was taking cover within the clouds above Riverrun, examining the siege from above with his enhanced eyesight.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>From his hiding spot, Jon wondered how to proceed. He could break the siege if he hurled repeated blasts of frost-flame on the enemy force, catching them off-guard with terror but the Lannister army alone was almost 20 times the number of the host of House Whitehill. So many archers and catapults could become a problem. And that was not counting the main Frey army, easily over 3000 strong.</p><p>Jon scratched his chin, considering. <em>"I am going to have to move on their siege weapons and ranks of archers first. Once most of their capacity for ranged warfare has been crushed, the rest of the army will scatter. And if we are lucky, they will run far enough for the Blackfish forces to quickly loot most of the abandoned tents for gold, food, and weapons before I take them North."</em></p><p>However, before he could settle on the first location to strike, he remembered something that might be relevant. The Red Wedding was an outrageous massacre but, from what he had heard, there were a few highly valuable prisoners taken alive. If any of them were close to the Blackfish, this siege would probably be a good time to bring them out.</p><p>So, Jon made a wish in silence to learn if any relative of Sansa was currently imprisoned in the Lannister-Frey camp. The answer made him blink.</p><p>"Uncle Edmure Tully," He muttered. "That complicates things."</p><p>Deciding he needed more information before risking the life of the Lord of Riverrun, he wished he would be able to see and hear what Sansa's uncle was experiencing right then and there. As the new sight came into focus, however, Jon realized he would have scowled if he had control of Edmure's face.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"Jamie Lannister," Jon muttered from the clouds. "It has been a while. Very well, let's hope you are in the mood to spill your plans, Kingslayer."</p><p>And the new god began to listen.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Two hours passed since he began and in that time, Jon's opinion of Jamie Lannister dropped and dropped the more he heard. By the time he threatened to murder Edmure's firstborn babe if he didn't cooperate and surrendered Riverrun to House Frey, Jon gritted his teeth, wanting to freeze him in his suit of armor just on principle. Still, he decided to wait so that he could more easily ruin that cowardly plan. As a result, Jon remained out of sight with the night as his cover until Jamie figured he had terrorized Edmure enough to take the gamble. And so the formerly imprisoned Lord of Riverrun demanded entry, which was granted after what was clearly a heated discussion between the Blackfish and the keep's castellan.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Jon decided that he wasn't interested in giving Edmure the time to choose between betraying his family home or sentencing his only son to die. The Lannisters put him in a very complicated spot and his reputation as head to one of the Great Houses would be heavily tainted either way, to say nothing about all the regret he would feel later. So, before his sister's uncle could reach the walls and make up his mind, Jon informed his mighty mount through their bond that the time had finally come.</p><p>And so, the unmistakable roar of a dragon echoed across the Trident.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>The Blackfish had been hurrying to follow his nephew to the wall, hoping against hope the Lord would have the strength of will not to tell the men to surrender. But when he reached the walls, his head wasn't the only one that twisted around to look for the source of that sudden roar.</p><p>And so it was that the seasoned veteran of House Tully, battle-tested in the War of the Ninepenny Kings, Robert's Rebellion, and the War of the Five Kings gasped in shock for the first time in years when he saw a dragon descend from the clouds.</p><p>Before he could even register the possibility of danger, the ice-blue behemoth opened its strong jaws and let loose a cobalt-colored wave that he almost mistook for fire until it froze tents and soldiers alike in a matter of seconds. The shouts of alarm from the Lannister-Frey forces resonated from below and he watched as more flashes of frost decimated the ranks of archers.</p><p>The defenders of the castle walls looked on, stunned at what they were witnessing. Eventually, Edmure found his voice.</p><p>"Did...did an Ice Dragon of legend and his rider just came to our aid?" He asked with wide eyes.</p><p>"It seems that way..." Blackfish replied, scarcely able to believe his own eyes.</p><p>They continued to watch as the duo laid waste to the flank that had the catapults and trebuchets. A few squads of braver archers did manage to fire some arrows but none found their mark, and they were soon killed with ice that made the harshest winter seem warm. Before long, the horses were panicking and tried to flee, some with their riders in tow despite their objections. After a few more minutes of freezing deaths, the army had enough and scattered, running in every direction without any sort of coordination, the frightened men only seeking to get away from the draconic menace.</p><p>At that, the dragon and his rider followed and kept blasting frost through their ranks for around fifteen more minutes, covering the fields and part of the Trident river with pale white corpses by the thousands. But eventually, the dragon turned around and let the remaining soldier flee, its roar of victory echoing across the field.</p><p>The Blackfish and Edmure tensed as the dragon turned to them and the defenders raised their bows in alarm instinctively. But before they could fire, the dragon slowed down deliberately and lowered its neck.</p><p>And that was when the pair of them recognized the rider. The experienced commander's jaw dropped to the floor when he realized it was his late King's half-brother...the Bastard of Winterfell.</p><p>"Greetings my Lords," Jon Snow said with a curt bow and a satisfied grin. "It has been a while. Would you please grant us entry? I am afraid my dragon's wings are tired by now and we have much to discuss."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, that's one way to break a siege, I guess. Hope you had fun. Any thoughts on what exactly you would like to see happen between Jon and Caitlyn's sibling and uncle?</p><p>Anyway, until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Diplomacy and Secrets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey there. So, I finally couldn't update a new chapter in a span of over 24 hours. Sorry about that. My symptoms got worse on the 30th, so I had to rest. Thank you for your patience.</p><p>I am still feeling ill though, so this chapter turned out a bit shorter than originally anticipated. However, I already plotted out everything that I am going to write in the next one so that should accelerate my pace a bit. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>Once they got over their shock, Jon followed his sister's uncle and grand-uncle into the ancestral seat of House Tully. His Ice Dragon elected to fly to the top of the highest and biggest tower and laid down there to rest her wings. She was still very much visible from below, however, which would remind the Lannister-Frey forces of her constant presence by the time they stop running for their lives.</p><p>Not that it seemed likely they would return soon after such a devastating and sudden attack, however. They had made themselves scarce so fast that Blackfish was confident enough to open the gate and order his men to loot all the useful supplies, weapons, and gold they could find on the countless tents of their camp. It would take them a couple of hours to go through the whole place but Jon suspected the mere presence of his draconic companion would dissuade their enemies from trying anything in time.</p><p>For now, however, he followed them to the Blackfish's personal quarters on Riverrun. They offered him to sit down and gave him some bread to establish the guest's rights. Once that bit of ceremony was complete, Jon stared at the two of them, not quite sure where to begin. But before he could decide, Brynden "Blackfish" Tully beat him to the point.</p><p>"You have grown a lot since we last saw each other at Sansa's 10th nameday celebration," He remarked. "And in more ways than one, clearly."</p><p>"Indeed," Edmure said in agreement. "Thank you so much for coming to our aid when you did. In all honesty, I am not sure what I would have done if you had been a few minutes late," He added, his tone guilty.</p><p>Blackfish narrowed his eyes at his own nephew. "What exactly did the Kingslayer did to make you even consider surrendering our family's home, boy?"</p><p>"Threaten my family," He replied with a sigh. "I know my marriage happened on a night of treachery and bloodletting but my son had nothing to do with that. I was...conflicted. And afraid for his safety."</p><p>Jon nodded sympathetically. "I can imagine. At any rate, I wouldn't worry that much about the Freys or the Lannisters killing him now that they know we have an Ice Dragon on our side. They are better off keeping him as a hostage to try to negotiate a peace settlement later. If they were to kill him, however, they would believe there would be little stopping me from raining down frostflame on the Twins and everyone in it. So, don't worry too much. We will get your son back eventually."</p><p>Edmure grabbed his hand and shook it firmly, his gaze earnest. "Thank you. That means more to me than you know."</p><p>The secret god nodded his respect and turned to look at the seasoned veteran. "I imagine you have a lot of questions. Where do you want to start?"</p><hr/><p>About an hour later, Jon had explained to them most of the relevant details that there were to tell, from his resurrection and subsequent release from his Night Watch's vows to the victory at Ironrath and his subsequent flight here. He answered all the questions they had for him to the best of his ability while keeping the true extent of his new powers a secret, simply suggesting that it seems the god that brought him back granted him some level of magical might he was still figuring out in full. Which was true, after a fashion. He also took note of the fact that aside from a few expressions of shock here and there, such as when he explained to them the situation at the North Grove or about the return of the Army of the Dead, they barely said anything, choosing to catch up first instead. By the time he was done, the two of them glanced at each other, clearly surprised.</p><p>"Well, it seems you have been busy," Blackfish declared, gruffly.</p><p>Edmure simply nodded.</p><p>Jon chuckled. "That's one way to put it, I guess."</p><p>At that moment, a cupbearer entered the room with a bottle, explaining he had taken it from an officer tent on the battlefield and imagined they would like a drink. The commander of the garrison smirked when he noticed what it was.</p><p>"Ah, Arbor wine," Brynden said in a good mood. "We ran out of that early into the siege. And you know what they say about a looted bottle..."</p><p>"The truest taste of victory," Jon recited with a grin.</p><p>"Indeed. And taken from the Lannister-Frey forces at that, so it should be even sweeter."</p><p>The young man took that as his cue to serve them the expensive wine in their respective cups before turning to leave. At that moment, Blackfish stared at Jon right in the eyes.</p><p>"I never had reason to like you," He declared abruptly. "We may have only met once and barely talked even then but while I could see Robb loved you, unfortunately, you represented a stain on House Tully's good name. That was more Ned Stark's fault than yours, of course, but it was hard not to resent you on principle just a bit, as my niece did."</p><p>"Yet you came to our aid when our ancestral home was besieged on all sides," He went on. "And managed to send our enemies fleeing. I will never, ever forget that," The veteran assured him. "So, make your case, tell me how we can repay you and we will see if we can reach an accord."</p><p>Jon nodded at him in understanding and took a deep breath. "As you know, Sansa and I are rallying our forces to retake Winterfell. So far, we have the support of House Mormont and House Forrester, with House Glenmore soon joining their Forrester allies now that we have broken the Whitehill siege. While not guaranteed yet, I have good reasons to believe House Glover will decide to back us up in a matter of days and now that we have pacified his region in a show of strength and once that's official, the rest of the Wolfswood region will follow. And that's not counting the nearly 3000 thousand Free Folk and Giants that choose to follow me for the sake of their own survival."</p><p>"But I am trying to gather as much support as I can before making our move against House Bolton and their allies," He went on. "Not just to improve our odds of victory but to give our historical bannermen enough time to remember that House Stark ruled the North for 8000 years and that its remaining members are not going to give up without a fight. That way, when all is said and done, everyone would have chosen their side, for good or ill. And while I know House Tully is from the Riverlands, you answered Robb's call when he was declared King of the North and the Trident. So, I was hoping you would come to our aid to reclaim Winterfell, for Sansa's sake at least if not mine.</p><p>Brynden and Edmure stared at each other for a long moment before turning back at him.</p><p>"And would you be able to use that...connection you gained to Weirwood trees in order to regroup our forces with yours in an instant?" </p><p>"Yes," Jon replied. "Although, I think I shall still have to wait a couple of hours before my...magical energy reserves recover enough to do that again,"  He lied, seeking to establish limits. "So, you have some time to think about it."</p><p>"In that case, would you please give my uncle and me some time to discuss this amongst ourselves?" The Lord of Riverrun requested. "We will send for you soon."</p><p>"Of course," Jon said with a curt nod. "I will go check on my dragon." </p><p>After he walked out of the room Blackfish scratched his chin and looked at Edmure for a moment before addressing the elephant in the room. "Are we really going to do this then?"</p><p>"Well, it was our late King's last will and testament," The younger Lord responded. </p><p>"Indeed," The military leader said. "Besides, he has an Ice Dragon under his command now. You saw what it did to thousands of soldiers. We will have a better chance of securing our independence from the Iron Throne if we pledge our loyalty."</p><p>"That's definitely an added benefit," Edmure said in agreement. "Although...my sister's vengeful ghost will come back to haunt us if we dare back him up over her remaining children."</p><p>Blackfish sighed. "Probably. But we have to think about our people now that the siege is broken, not just worry about taking down as many of our enemies as possible before being brought down ourselves. And right now, it seems like Jon would be our best bet to secure our future.</p><p>The Lord of Riverrun took a deep breath. "Then it's settled."</p><p>He stood up and opened the door before sending for Jon. It was time to tell him the contents in Robb Stark's will.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, there you go. I will try to update sooner this time since I already have most of the picture in my head. For the show-only fans, know that this testament development is shown in the books. I will elaborate soon.</p><p>Hope you liked it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0040"><h2>40. Proclamation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, here is the second half of the content that was originally going to go in the previous chapter, as promised. It's somewhat short for obvious reasons as a result but it has my alternate take on an event that many fans from the books suspect will happen in Winds of Winter. So, I hope you have fun!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>When Jon returned, he noticed that the Tully Lords had summoned their Maester, a white-haired man with a matching beard that was carrying a piece of parchment in his hands.</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="chapter-content">
  <p>"Jon," Blackfish greeted, "This is Maester Vyman. He has served our house and castle faithfully these past few years, sometimes under very stressful circumstances.</p>
  <p>"Good to meet you," The secret god replied with a respectful nod.</p>
  <p>"And I you," The elderly man responded. "I still have a hard time understanding how you managed to tame an Ice Dragon but thank you all the same for coming to our aid when we needed it most."</p>
  <p>"It was my pleasure, I assure you," The former Lord Commander replied.</p>
  <p>"Well then," Edmure said. "Now that the introductions are over, let's get down to business. My uncle and I have discussed it and we have agreed to pledge House Tully to your cause. We even have some ideas that should help improve our position to further provide you with additional aid. However, before we get on with that, I believe it's important for us to reveal a valuable piece of information that concerns you."</p>
  <p>The dragonrider raised an eyebrow. "Alright, I will bite. What piece of information?"</p>
  <p>The two close relatives of his father's wife glance at each other for a moment before nodding. Then, Blackfish went on.</p>
  <p>"King Robb Stark's last will and testament," The veteran replied.</p>
  <p>Jon froze at that, his eyes wide. "He mentioned me in his will?!"</p>
  <p>"Don't sound so surprised," The freed Lord of Riverrun responded. "You know he always had great respect and affection for you. You may have been a bastard but you were also brothers and had known each other most of your lives."</p>
  <p>"Well, yes," Jon said as he scratched his neck. "It's just that I was still in the Night's Watch when this testament would have been made and had no idea I would find a valid loophole to get released from my vows. I imagine Robb didn't count on my resurrection at the time."</p>
  <p>"You are right about that," Blackfish said gruffly. "Which is why he was planning to send 100 prisoners of war to the Wall and offer them to the Night's Watch in exchange for them to release you from your vows. It simply became a moot point after the Red Wedding."</p>
  <p>"Huh," The former Lord Commander muttered. "I can't say I have heard about an offer like that been done before."</p>
  <p>"It would have been unprecedented," Edmure agreed. "But Robb was confident they would have accepted it, given the dire straights they were in at the time, with a new King Beyond the Wall gathering a massive army back then."</p>
  <p>"I see," Jon said, sighing. "Oh, brother, it would have been good to see you again."</p>
  <p>"That may not be possible now," Brynden said slowly. "But now that you have found an acceptable way to get released from your vows, we can more easily enforce what our late king required of his loyal bannermen in case he died without issue which, unfortunately, he did."</p>
  <p>And with that the two members of the ancient and noble House Tully bent the knee before him, making him inhale sharply when he realized what they meant. Then, the Maester read the parchment he had in his hand, with Jon realizing that it was a copy of his brother's will.</p>
  <p>"In the name of the late King Robb of House Stark, ruler of the North and the Trident, I hereby proclaim his intentions to legitimize his half-brother Jon Snow and to name him his heir. All hail King Jon Stark of Winterfell!"</p>
  <p>"LONG MAY HE REIGN!" Roared the Lord of Riverrun and its military leader.</p>
  <p>Jon stared at them with a mask of shock, scarcely able to believe this was happening. He had wanted to become a true Stark for so long it felt like a dream. But as he saw the dead serious looks on their faces, he swallowed, and his thoughts turned to Robb.</p>
  <p><em>"Brother, I don't know if you can hear me even with my powers,"</em> Jon thought in silence. <em>"But if you can, then know that I will strive to make you proud for the trust you have placed in me...and to bring your killers to justice."</em></p>
  <p>The new king opened his eyes and hardened them. It seems he had a lot of work to do...in both the short and long term.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The King in the North arises! And for those that don't know, yeah, the will of Robb is a development from the books. I will explain some of the differences that took place on this alternate timeline in that front during the next chapter. But for now, I hope you enjoyed chapter 40. Personally, I feel almost cured now, so hopefully, I will beat covid fairly soon. Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0041"><h2>41. Strategy of Consolidation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone. Here is the next chapter, which will highlight the important next steps to take in Jon's campaign now that he has learned that Robb named him heir to his kingship over the North and the Riverlands. Hope you like it. Oh and I dedicate this chapter to Jxcamacho04 since it's his birthday. Thanks for all the consistent support for my story, pal. And for everyone that is looking for another Game of Thrones story to read, you might want to check out his Star of the North fic that he just started. Anyway, have fun with this one.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>The next day the newly crowned Jon Stark broke his fast with Lord Edmure and Blackfish. Maester Vyman was also with them in an advisory capacity should they ask for his input. When he finished his buttered bread, they finally picked up where they left off the previous night.</p><p>"Alright so, we are going to need to find a way to convince the other Lords of the North and the Riverlands that Robb's will was genuine," The young king said. "How many copies are there of the testament?"</p><p>"Here in Riverrun?" Asked Brynden Tully. "Just the one. It was delivered by Maege Mormont on her way to Greywater Watch."</p><p>The new god's eyes widened. "The She-bear of House Mormont is alive?! I thought she died at the Red Wedding! Her youngest daughter, Lyanna, certainly thinks so, given that she had to take over her family's seat."</p><p>"That was a bit of a misunderstanding from what we have been able to gather," Edmure responded. "It's true that Dacey Mormont and her middle sisters died at the Red Wedding but they also fought off part of the Frey betrayers before being brought down in a fire that erupted during the fighting. Their bodies ended up so burnt that they couldn't be certain if Maege Mormont was among them or not but after months of silence they assumed she was and gave her for dead."</p><p>Jon nodded slowly. "But we know better."</p><p>"Yes," Blackfish said simply. "Robb sent her to Greywater Watch in the Neck with many copies of his testament, which was in turn signed by several Northern and Riverlords at the time. The problem was, all of those witnesses aside from my nephew Edmure and myself died at the Red Wedding. I imagine that once word reached Greywater Watch about the treachery at the Twins, they decided to lay low with the cause in shambles. But what exactly they have been up to since then, I am not certain. We hadn't had word from them in about a year."</p><p>"In that case, I need to fly to Greywater Watch, formally enlist the aid of House Reed and get the copies of the will so that no Northern Lord can claim ignorance as an excuse," The new king declared. "I don't intend to let Robb's legacy end because some Lords decided to remain neutral in my conflict with House Bolton when they could have made a difference."</p><p>"And you shouldn't," The Lord of Riverrun said in agreement. "However, if we may be so bold, my uncle and I spent some time discussing strategy last night and there were some recommendations we would like to offer that may very well strengthen your position."</p><p>Jon motioned for them to go on and the experienced veteran took over and showed him a map of the Riverlands on the table.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="chapter-content">
  <p> </p>
  <p> </p>
  <p> </p>
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  <div class="chapter-content">
    <p>"Since the last few hours before dawn, we have received ravens from other besieged but consistently loyal Riverlords that wanted to know if it was true that an Ice Dragon and its rider joined our cause and crushed the Lannister siege by wiping out thousands of soldiers and scattering thousands more across the region," He explained. "I replied yes and took the liberty of mentioning that you were the rider, arriving from the North to avenge the Red Wedding. Ever since then, more and more ravens have arrived from all corners of the Riverlands with Lords from Seagard to Pinkmaiden to Maidenpool and more all bowing to pledge their remaining banners and reorganize our forces at Riverrun if you take your mighty dragon on a flight across the Riverlands and reign down fury from the skies on the Lannister forces camped inside their respective territories."</p>
    <p>Jon's eyes widened. "That would certainly turn the tide in our favor," He said slowly.</p>
    <p>Then he paused, remembering there was a slight issue with the plan, based on the information that came to his mind when he used his powers to learn more about the abilities and limits of his dragon. "There is one thing you should know, however," He started. "From what I have gathered, Ice Dragons don't do that well in the weather of the Riverlands, even so close to winter. I noticed when I realized that the frost-flame she fired back in the Northern Wolfswood during the Siege of Ironrath was bigger than the streams she blasted away last night. I am convinced that I could go on a tour around the Riverlands scaring Lannisters men all the way to the Seven hells with some blasts of frost and by the mere sight of her alone but not for more than a couple of days if I want her to remain healthy, which I most definitely do," He said firmly. "Afterwards, I need to get her to rest a bit in the Northern weather. Hopefully on White Harbor, if all goes well so that I can get the support of House Manderly.</p>
    <p>Blackfish and Edmure stared at each other for a long moment as they analyzed that piece of information, then turned back to their new king.</p>
    <p>"Even with those limits, the Lannisters wouldn't know that, and we already inflicted a lot of panic on the bulk of their remaining army last night," The military commander insisted. "If we can press on the advantage across the Riverlands even for a couple of days, it would make a marked difference in taking back our territory from the Iron Throne. Most men will think twice before taking up arms against a faction that commands a dragon, after all. We must simply give them a little push."</p>
    <p>Jon interlocked his fingers, considering. Taking this course of action will delay his return to the North for some time. Not just because he would be helping House Tully rally the Riverlands but because he had been planning to take off from White Harbor to Braavos so that he could pick up Arya, once he had enlisted the aid of House Manderly. All these moves could certainly strengthen his cause, but he didn't like the idea of being away from his main army or from Sansa for so long, especially with Ramsay probably getting news of the end of the Siege of Ironrath by now.</p>
    <p>However, Robb named him his heir, and that meant the Riverlands were under his protection, so he had a duty to come to the aid of his vassals now that he had the means to. Once that was done they would be more eager to acknowledge the kingship he had inherited from his brother but after the disaster that was the Red Wedding, he needed to give the Riverlords and their bannermen hope again.</p>
    <p>Still, if he did this, he needed to send Sansa some reinforcements soon, just in case. It was with that in mind that he made his decision.</p>
    <p>"Very well, I will take flight through the Riverlands to liberate our towns and holdfasts from the Lannister-Frey forces," Jon said in agreement. "However, I still want to send some additional troops to join my army at Ironrath, in case Ramsay gets impatient and decides to send his army to attack them. So, here is what we are going to do: Blackfish, I want you to select half of your veteran soldiers and move them to Riverrun's Godswood after lunch today. Then, I will use my connection to the Weirwood web to transport them to the Northern Wolfswood, within allied territory. Some food for my army would be good as well, especially considering that you had enough supplies at Riverrun to last your 400 soldiers about 2 years and that was before you looted the enemy camp bare. But I won't ask too much on that front because even with cutting your army in half, you will eventually receive more bannermen at Riverrun, so you will need your own provisions too."</p>
    <p>"After I have shattered every Lannister camp on my route," He went on, "I want you to organize your banners and focus on defending the Riverlands until we can finish off the Boltons, which will be much easier once I can get the aid of House Manderly. Then, after I have distributed the copies of Robb's testament I will get during my stay at Greywater Watch, it will be easier to publicly legitimize my kingship over the North and the Trident, at which point I can return south and help you defend the Riverlands. Are we in agreement?"</p>
    <p>The two of them glance at one another for a moment, then nodded. "In that case," Blackfish said, "You should probably have Brienne of Tarth join the battalion that will regroup with the bulk of your army. I am sure your sister will appreciate having such a strong and tall woman guarding her again, if what I have heard from her service is true."</p>
    <p>"Oh, she made it here then?" Jon asked with a raised eyebrow. "Good. And you are right, it would be best to send her to Ironrath with the others."</p>
    <p>He paused for a moment, then turned to Maester Vyman, determination in his gaze. "Please, inform every Lord that offered to pledge their banners in exchange for my aid that I will answer their pleas. And be sure to tell them that the North Remembers. In every way."</p>
    <p>Vyman nodded. "It shall be done, King Jon Stark."</p>
  </div>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, I hope this sets the scene for the upcoming developments well enough for your tastes. There will be more to come later. For now, I hope you enjoyed it and if you did, please leave a comment sharing your thoughts on the matter.</p><p>Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0042"><h2>42. Ancestral Reunification</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey there. So, here is the next chapter. Hope you have fun with it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>Jon Stark was petting his Ice Dragon on the neck at the inner courtyard, wondering yet again what name to give her. He had thought of Icewing, to take inspiration from the name of the famous she-dragon known as Silverwing that was once ridden by Good Queen Alysanne but it sounded too simplistic for his tastes. Then he thought of Winterscale for obvious reasons but then the name wouldn't fit during summer. He did overhear a few soldiers call her Frostmourne due to the sheer damage she caused the Lannister forces but, while somewhat accurate, he didn't want to give her such a terrifying and aggressive name because it might give his vassals and subjects the wrong idea.</p><p>"What about Saphira?" The young king asked.</p><p>The mighty dragon snorted at that, ice coming out of her nostrils and she gave him a look of distaste as if to say "after a rock? Seriously?". Her rider raises his hands in a placating gesture. "Alright, alright, not Saphira either. Gods above, you are hard to please."</p><p>Before he could think of another name, however, he heard heavy footsteps approaching so he turned around and raised an eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>His beloved sister's sworn sword approached him and bowed. "Your Grace."</p><p>"Huh," Jon muttered. "Being addressed that way is going to take some getting used to," He admitted. "Good to see you again, my Lady."</p><p>"Likewise. How does it feel, becoming a king?" She asked with curiosity.</p><p>Jon paused then tilted his head. "On one hand, I am honored that Robb trusted me enough to take care of his legacy. On the other hand, it feels like my responsibilities have increased 100 fold and that is just starting to sink in. At least now it should be easier to rally my people against the Army of the Dead, though."</p><p>"There is that," She said slowly. "I hesitate to ask but..."</p><p>"Speak freely," The new king said with a gesture.</p><p>"It's just...are you sure that testament was genuine?"</p><p>Jon nodded in understanding, realizing she was looking out for Sansa's rights of succession. "Well, at least as sure as I can be right now. The thought did cross my mind that the will may have been forged but the reality is that they had no idea I was coming to break the siege and they showed me their signed copy not half an hour after I got off my dragon. And even if they had had enough time, Edmure and Blackfish loved Caitlyn. I sincerely doubt they would have tried to crown me and at Riverrun no less if Robb didn't truly ask that of them. Regardless, I intend to confirm their story as soon as I arrive at Greywater Watch. If there are more signed copies, they assure me I will find them there, and then I will know for sure.</p><p>"I see," Brienne replied after a moment's pause. "I have also heard that you are planning to...transport half the army to Sansa's location with sorcery."</p><p>"That's a recent skilled I discovered after my resurrection," Jon explained. "And before you ask, yes it is safe, I already did it with more Free Folk and Giants from Beyond the Wall and yes, I want you and Podrick at Sansa's side. I suspect that Ramsay will feel the need to attack our forces near Ironrath before long and it will still take me a few days to rally the Riverlands and recruit House Manderly. So, I would appreciate it if you could protect my sister until I return."</p><p>"That would be my honor, your Grace." The tall warrioress assured him. "However, if you intend to send us to the Northern Wolfswood soon, then I guess it would be best for me to return this to you right now."</p><p>And with that, the blonde woman handed him over a sheathed blade with a ruby embedded in the guard. Jon raised an eyebrow when he noticed it was Valyrian Steel, especially given that he didn't recognize it.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"Return it to me, you say?" The young king asked, waiting for an explanation.</p><p>Brienne of Tarth nodded solemnly. "That blade is one half of a pair of shorter swords that came out <em>Ice</em>, the ancestral greatsword of House Stark."</p><p>Jon inhaled sharply at that, remembering his father using Ice to carry the death sentence against a Night Watch deserter years ago as he stared at the fresh-forged sword.</p><p>"What happened?" He had to ask.</p><p>"From what I heard, Tywin Lannister hired one of the last few living smiths than knows the process for how to rework Valyrian Steel," The soldier explained. "Since he had <em>Ice</em> in his possession after your father's execution, he had the grandmaster of his craft reforge the metal from the greatsword into two shorter blades. This one originally went to King Joffrey who, for some reason, saw it fit to name it <em>Widow's Wail</em> shortly before being poisoned at his own wedding. Afterward, it was given to Jamie Lannister, who decided to keep it after giving me the other half," She said while showing him her own blade. "That one I named <em>Oathkeeper</em>, in honor of the promise Ser Jamie made to Caitlyn Stark to help keep your sisters safe, which he did by arming me and giving me the supplies I needed to go on my way and find Sansa."</p><p>Jon scratched his chin, contemplating what she just said. "Huh. Then I guess the kingslayer still has some honor inside him. Did you found <em>Widow's Wail</em> on the battlefield?"</p><p>Brianne nodded. "But no sign of Ser Jamie anywhere among the corpses. Blackfish was quite specific in his orders to deliver a report if they could identify him. No one matched his description, though. So, I imagine he lost the blade in the rush to escape from the draconic attack."</p><p>"Hmm," The new god hummed, realizing she seemed relieved that he was probably still alive.</p><p><em>"Clearly there is a story there,"</em> He thought to himself. <em>"But she has done everything right so far and she did return this remnant of my family's ancestral blade to me when she was the only one that knew exactly what it entailed. I can't say I have reason to distrust her loyalty. And we all have a past."</em></p><p>Deciding her story could wait, Jon sheathed the blade and turned to store it on a sack that was tied to his dragon's saddle, just beside <em>Dark Sister</em>. The keep's men had done some improvement in the last few hours with their leatherworking skills. Now it could carry more weight. Once he was done, he resolved to come up with a new name for the reforged half of his ancestral sword at a later date and turned back to the knight in all but name.</p><p>"Thank you very much for your service," The young king said, earnestly. "Even if it's not in its original form, this blade is still part of <em>Ice</em>, and having it back in our hands feels like a good omen to me. In the meantime, I will be honored if you keep using <em>Oathkeeper</em> to defend my family."</p><p>The tall warrioress bowed. "The honor would be mine, your Grace, I assure you."</p><p>"Excellent. Now, as you can see, it's high noon already. So, let's go to Riverrun's Godswood. It's time to send Blackfish's handpicked veterans from the War of the Five Kings to reinforce Sansa's position."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As you can see, the name for the Ice Dragon has not been revealed yet. Now, I already know which one is it but perhaps one of you might be able to guess it ahead of schedule. In which case, gets it right in the comment gets to ask me one fully spoilery question if they want and they get the next chapter after their guess dedicated to them. Good luck with this little contest and I hope you enjoyed the chapter :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0043"><h2>43. Applying Pressure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone. Here is the next chapter. I hope you have fun with it!</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="chapter-content">
  <p>A few hours after taking off on the wings of his Ice Dragon, Jon Stark was making quite a bit of progress in his campaign to liberate the Riverlands from the remaining forces of the Iron Throne. He had been flying at a slower pace and closer to the ground than to the clouds so as to better scout for Lannister-Frey loyalists due to their armor, banners, or sigils. And he did found a large group of soldiers making their way to the hill of High Heart. Frowning, Jon had his dragon let loose frost-flame upon them before they could reach the ancient hill of weirwood stumps; the place having been sacred to the Children of the Forest of old.</p>
  <p>Afterward, he had headed towards the nearby castle known as Acorn Hall, the seat of House Smallwood. Another armed force of Lannister soldiers that had headed in this direction was outside their walls with their weapons drawn in clearly threatening intent, probably trying to coerce the Smallwoods to open their gates to them. But Jon had been aware that they had been among the first to pledge their support if he decided to set out and protect them from above so when he saw the banners of House Stark raised atop their walls, the young king grinned fiercely but he wasn't surprised. The enemy soldiers sure were when he had blasted them apart with extreme cold, however, and as he flew overhead the castle erupted in cheers he heard from the air.</p>
  <p>When the new god had flown southwest in the direction of the Pinkmaiden, he found not one major concentration of soldiers in that direction but three scattered groups, the last one of which was full of knights and soldiers at horseback. By the time he made it to that mounted column, the Castle of House Piper was within sight, and the horses went frantic when he fired the next barrage of frost-flame, with half of them throwing back their rider and racing towards the castle without the extra weight. Those he did allow to go so that his new bannermen could get additional warhorses.</p>
  <p>When he reached the walled town known as the Stoney sept, however, he discovered a Lannister Banner on the barracks and saw an awed-looking watchman from one of the towers pointing towards it, clearly trying to get his attention. Jon took the message to mean the bulk of the soldiers that had been oppressing the town were currently there and the raven exchange with Riverrun was conducted in secret. Pleased he would be able to minimize the damage to the town now that they had maneuvered most of his enemies to one place, Jon urged his mighty she-dragon to shatter the stone rooftop above their heads, spikes of ice descending upon the unfortunate soldiers like javelins.</p>
  <p>By the time he had crossed the river to the east of the walled town, there were no more remnants of the large Lannister army in the surrounding area that he could spot from above. That said he was sure there would be more garrisons at Maidenpool, and Seagard to name a few places he had yet to travel to.</p>
  <p>Which was why he had made a wish to become aware of the locations of more Lannister soldiers around the Riverlands before Sansa could communicate with him mentally. Shortly after he had oriented himself to their locations in a sort of mind map, he had started listening to his sister's current thoughts.</p>
  <p>And he had informed her of what he was doing at the moment with his current campaign and of recent events.</p>
  <p>Sansa listened to him mostly quiet, with only a few moments of expressed surprise echoing across the vast distance that separated them. When he finished catching her up, however, he practically felt her relief and pride.</p>
  <p><em>"So, Robb legitimized you when he named you his heir,"</em> The redhead said, surely beaming with that mental tone of voice. <em>"And now you are rallying the Riverlands to secure its independence from the Iron Throne. King Jon Stark,"</em> She said with a chuckle. <em>"It suits you."</em></p>
  <p>"<em>That bit of legitimacy will certainly help us secure our rule over the North after the dark times of the past few years,"</em> Jon said in agreement. <em>"Although I must say, it still feels a bit surreal."</em></p>
  <p>Sansa snorted across their mental link. <em>"More so than becoming a god?"</em></p>
  <p><em>"Point taken,"</em> The young king admitted. <em>"Regardless, it does feel good to officially gain the Stark name. I have been dreaming of that moment since I was a child."</em></p>
  <p><em>"I can imagine,"</em> The Lady of Winterfell in exile responded. <em>"And believe me, it's well earned so don't you dare second guess your worth now."</em></p>
  <p><em>"Heh, very well, I won't,"</em> Jon replied with a smirk. <em>"Although, you do know what this development means, right?"</em></p>
  <p><em>"Enlighten me,"</em> The redhead urged him in amusement.</p>
  <p><em>"It means that after we get married, then you would be my queen,"</em> The new god declared with affection in his tone. <em>"What do you think of that?"</em></p>
  <p>Sansa was quiet for a long moment after that, clearly thinking of the implications. Then she poured as much love as she could visualize in their mental link and let him feel it, making him gasp a bit at the sensations.</p>
  <p><em>"Does that answer your question, my beloved brother?"</em> The unseen voice asked of him.</p>
  <p>Jon took a deep breath and nodded. <em>"It really does, my wonderful sister."</em></p>
  <p>They stayed silent for a moment there, just feeling each other's presence and thinking about the future. Before long, however, Jon asked how things were going on her end.</p>
  <p><em>"Very well, actually,"</em> She assured him. <em>"The 200 veterans from Riverrun already started patrolling the area around Ironrath, on the lookout for Ramsay's scouts or some other danger. Also, House Glenmore finally managed to join the fray and arrived with their own banners to House Forrester's seat about an hour ago, coming to support Rodrick and his wife, Elaena Glenmore, who had been trapped by the siege for most of the year. They simply lacked the manpower to break it by themselves and they also feared House Bolton's retribution if they interfered too much in the private conflict between the Forresters and the Whitehills. "</em></p>
  <p><em>"But,</em>" The Lady of Winterfell in Exile went on, <em>"after news reached them of our victory and alliance, Lord Glenmore rushed to reinforce us and bring as much food and supplies as he could, which was much appreciated by the people of Ironrath that had been rationing for months. At this rate, I believe it's just a matter of time before Lord Glover arrives from Deepwood Motte and discuss terms with us. We have become a force to be reckoned with inside his own region and he can't ignore that through neutrality for much longer."</em></p>
  <p><em>"Sounds excellent,"</em> Jon replied mentally. <em>"That said, I am going to need you to do something to improve our odds even further."</em></p>
  <p><em>"I am listening,"</em> Sansa thought out.</p>
  <p><em>"Well, here is the thing,"</em> He began, <em>"becoming King of not just the North but the Trident is going to extend my stay here in the Riverlands for at least a couple more days as I rid the territory from the Lannister troops that aren't fleeing to the Westerlands or King's Landing and then meet up with the regrouped Riverlords under the command of Blackfish and Lord Edmure, in order for them to formally pledge their banners and organize our military plans."</em></p>
  <p><em>"After that, however,"</em> He continued, <em>"I am flying to the Neck so that I can enlist the aid of House Reed and also gather the other signed copies of Robb's will to secure my claim as his heir. But even then I am not returning to your position immediately because there are two more necessary stops on my way: White Harbor so that I can secure the aid of House Manderly and then a quick flight across the Narrow Sea so that I can pick up Arya at Braavos now that I will be close by from the northern port city."</em></p>
  <p><em>"I see," "</em>Sansa said slowly. <em>"All these plans make sense. And it will be good to reunite with Arya again. I will miss you in my bed in the coming days though,</em>" She pouted from afar.</p>
  <p>Jon sighed, understanding the feeling. <em>"Me too. But needs must. Regardless, I am worried about being away from the army for too long now that we are starting to make Ramsay's forces bleed while growing in numbers. He may be forced to rally his loyalists and attack you at the Northern Wolfswood before I can return astride my dragon. So, I think now would be a good time to call on Littlefinger and make good on his promise to gather the Knights of the Vale for our cause. That would even the score until I return."</em></p>
  <p><em>"Hmm, alright but I hope you understand Petyr Baelish's aid will not come for free,"</em> Sansa warned.</p>
  <p><em>"You let me worry about that,"</em> Jon said reassuringly.</p>
  <p>He suddenly felt her amusement and figured she just grinned. <em>"As you command, King Jon."</em></p>
  <p>The new god laughed at that so hard that his mighty she-dragon twisted her head in midair to take a better look at him. He petted her neck to calm her down and then focused on their mental link.</p>
  <p><em>"That's going to take some getting used to, especially coming from you,"</em> He chuckled. <em>"Anyway, I am approaching Maidenpool so I better pay attention to the location of the Lannister garrison. I love you, Sansa. Talk to you soon."</em></p>
  <p>
    <em>"I love you too, Jon. I hope you can return to me before long."</em>
  </p>
  <p><em>"I will try my best. Stay safe,"</em> He added, then cut off the connection.</p>
  <p>With that, he focused on the mental map from his wish, knowing exactly where the Lannister soldiers were. He sighed for a moment, understanding that this was the easiest, fastest way to pacify his new kingdom south of the Neck but even after everything the Lannisters had put the Riverlands through, it still made him a bit uneasy to just blast them apart with frost-flame. It was hardly a fair fight, after all. But now he had a duty to protect his subjects and he couldn't do that easily with an enemy army scattered around their land.</p>
  <p>"Still, I hope that my rule can eventually turn to a peaceful and prosperous one," He said to himself in a wistful tone.</p>
  <p>And with that thought, he urged his dragon ahead, as she opened her maw yet again.</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, I hope you liked it. And remember guys, the higher the number of reviews, the sooner I am likely to update again. Aside from being busy last night, which is one of the reasons I couldn't update yesterday, I did miss the comments from several of you guys. Not that you are obliged to review every time of course, but that does boost my motivation to write faster so really, it's better for all of us involved.</p><p>Anyway, I hope you enjoy the developments of this chapter, as well as the teases it promised for the near future. Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0044"><h2>44. The Moving Fortress</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello again. This chapter is mostly to set the scene for future developments and to give a status update about the situation in the Riverlands so it won't be that long. That said, I hope you like it and the things it may hint at for the future.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>The Neck: Outskirts of Greywater Watch</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Three days later, Jon Stark was flying above the swamps of the Neck looking for the seat of House Reed. The young King had figured the search would be harder than it seemed, even from the sky. After all, Greywater Watch was the only keep in all of Westeros that was built upon a crannog, one of the man-made floating islands of the swamps, and as a result, it did not stay in the same place, making it impossible for messenger ravens to find through the usual methods.</p><p>As he stared at the canopy of trees in search of a sign of the castle, Jon remembered that he could have just found a way to word the wish to locate the keep faster but he decided not to. He had been enjoying flying astride his mighty she-dragon more and more every day, the feeling of freedom and power as the soared across the skies being like nothing he had ever experienced. Besides, it gave him more time to think about recent events.</p><p>By the time he had returned to Riverrun from his campaign against the Lannister-Frey forces, he had stopped by every town and holdfast in the Riverlands except for two: Harrenhal and the Twins. The former because he was aware that Littlefinger's men held the castle at the time and, while Blackfish had told him the former Master of Coin had gained the seat with the blessing of King Joffrey, he was willing to give him a chance to prove himself to Sansa with the aid of the Knights of the Vale. So, it seemed counter-productive to attack his current, if unsavory, ally at the time.</p><p>The Twins, on the other hand, he spared because he wanted to make a big spectacle out of those guilty of staining their hands with blood during the Red Wedding and a clear sign that he wouldn't just extinguish the entire House in vengeance down to the last woman and child, even if some of his bannermen wouldn't mind. And since he wasn't ready for that public display of justice, it was easier to just let most of the remaining Freys that survived his breaking of the Siege of Riverrun to flee back to their dual keep and take shelter there. Plus, at the end of the day, the double castle was an excellent fortification when it comes to chokepoints. It would be more beneficial to deal with the Freys without destroying one of the most formidable strongholds of the Trident.</p><p>At least, that was the explanation he had given to the Riverlords the day before. Most accepted his decision without complaint after he assured them that one way or another, Walder Frey's days were numbered, although, of those that wanted to take immediate action against the Freys now that they had regrouped at Riverrun, with more banners arriving every day, Ser Jason Mallister, Lord of Seagard was by far the most vocal due to his seat's proximity to the murderous oathbreakers. In the end, however, he calmed down when Jon told him he had his leave to besiege the Twins with his own forces for however long he liked if he wanted, so long as he didn't execute anyone that may surrender without first letting him analyze their case. Between that and being grateful to the young king for using frost-flame to wipe out the Lannister-Frey military garrison, that was keeping him a prisoner inside his own castle, Lord Mallister agreed to follow his command, shortly before officially bending the knee.</p><p>When he had finished accepting oaths of fealty from the Lords that had been present on Riverrun at the time, and they proclaimed him King of the North and the Trident, he couldn't help but feel more than a little triumphant. He never expected to be in this position, even if he knew that Robb had valued him as a brother but he had to admit their cheers and expressions of renewed hope made him feel good inside. He had never seen people so happy to celebrate him, even when he was proclaimed Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. True, he knew much of it was because they knew that having a dragon on their side, for the first time since they joined the Blacks under Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen during the Dance of Dragons, could be seen as a powerful sign. Nonetheless, he was happy for helping rid much of his new territory from its Iron Throne-backed oppressors and for reigniting the sparks of hope in the hearts of the Riverlords after the disaster that was the Red Wedding.</p><p>The next morning, however, he had told the Riverlords that were strategizing that time was of the essence and he needed to return North so he could finish his preparations to liberate Winterfell from House Bolton. They vowed to defend the Riverlands in the meantime, a task made much easier by his campaign of ice and frost, and to make sure that no Frey escaped the Twins to freedom. He placed Blackfish in charge of their combined military forces, after reinstating him to the position that Robb had created for the seasoned veteran before the Red Wedding: the Warden of the Southern Marches. He had shaken his hand vigorously at the promotion and swore not to let him down. Then, the new king had bid the Lords farewell and headed towards the Neck astride his Ice Dragon.</p><p>Jon was snapped out of his reminiscing thoughts, however, when he spotted something that looked like a wooden tower from a small opening in the canopy across the swamp. Urging his dragon to slow down, he looked more closely at it and then decided he needed to cross the mass of leaves and trees at the top. So, his large companion squeezed through, slashing her way through the thickest part of the humid vegetation with her claws as sharp as blades.</p><p>And then, he finally saw the moving fortress.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>The young king descended into the water right at the entrance of the wooden castle since the small courtyard would be a tight fit for her dragon. A group of short Crannogmen guards sounded the alarm when he landed but Jon yelled at them that he came in peace and wanted to speak to Howland Reed as a representative of House Stark of Winterfell, figuring that would make them less wary than claiming he was King in the North.</p><p>His announcement did give them pause and after getting over their shock while noticing the dragon wasn't attacking, one of them ended up going inside to look for their liege. In the meantime, his she-dragon splashed about the place, seemingly amusing herself with the new terrain. Her hide was cold enough to turn the water around her to ice as she moved but only for mere moments before the fragile frost shattered around the waterways of the swamp. Jon caressed her neck as she enjoyed the swim. She didn't drink any of the water though, which was he had expected. So far, he has only seen her drink water if it was in the shape of snow, after all. </p><p>After a few minutes, he saw one of his late father's oldest friends staring back at him atop the behemoth.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="chapter-content">
  <p>For a long moment, the man said nothing although Jon noticed that his eyes widened only briefly as if seeing an Ice Dragon descending upon his hidden castle was only mildly interesting. He found that strange but then shrugged, deciding to introduce himself.</p>
  <p>"I am Jon, Lord Reed. Eddard Stark's son and Robb's brother. I am told you may have information that would legitimize my family name. Is that true?" He asked.</p>
  <p>The Lord gave him a warm smile. "More than you may think. It's good to finally meet you. Come on in, it's clear we have much to discuss."</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And there you go. Short as I said but hey, we have finally met with Howland Reed! What developments do you think are coming next, I wonder?</p><p>Anyway, I will try to update as soon as I can. Hope you enjoyed it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0045"><h2>45. Letters of Proof and Secrets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well then, here is a chapter that many of you have been waiting for. Got a bit longer than my usual chapters too so I hope you like it. Oh and by the way, I edited the ending of the last chapter after someone in the comments reminded me that the Ice Dragon wouldn't really fit in the courtyard of Greywater Watch. So, feel free to check out the changes I made to the end of the previous chapter if you want.</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>Jon instructed his Ice Dragon through their bond to fly towards a nearby mountain peak to rest if the humid weather started to bother her, given that he had a feeling he would be staying a while on Greywater Watch. Through their mental connection, he felt her acknowledgment of his suggestion but she remained swimming for a minute longer before finally taking off. Then, he followed his host through the wooden keep.</p><p>Greywater Watch was a small castle and it showed. It had to be or it wouldn't be able to float and move when House Reed commanded it and its lack of stone made it especially vulnerable if it were found by invaders. According to his father's old friend, however, that was easier said than done on the untamed swamps.</p><p>"...Andals and Ironmen, Freys and other fools, all those proud warriors had set out to conquer Greywater in the past," Howland Reed continued. "Not one of them could find it due to our ability to move the fortress as need be. They ride into the Neck, but not back out. And sooner or later they blunder into the bogs and sink beneath the weight of all that steel and drown there in their armor, assuming our forces don't ambush them first with poison arrows and blades before they could figure out what was happening."</p><p>Jon nodded, impressed at their natural defenses and the stubbornness of their fighters. "Fascinating. And good thing I didn't come as an enemy then."</p><p>"True that," The Crannogman grunted. "We never really had to deal with a dragonrider searching for our keep, even during the Targaryen era. And the few times their dragons did came North, they preferred to visit White Harbor, Winterfell, and the Wall, after all. I am going to have to rally my bannermen at some point to debate how best to hide our ancient castle from someone that can fly," He said in a ponderous tone. "Hmm, that might take some time and effort."</p><p>Then he seemed to realize the implication of what he had just said and looked at Jon sheepishly. "My apologies if I offended you and your mighty companion, your Grace. I didn't mean to presume I have reason to think you would attack us on dragonback. It's just that we Crannogmen of the swamps are an ancient lot and we are proud of our resilience. Given how isolated we have been from the rest of the North even when we answered the call from Winterfell, it pays to take our defenses seriously. Besides," He added more slowly, "according to my reports, Daenerys Targaryen's dragons are growing every year. It seems prudent to make contingencies involving dragons for Greywater Watch even if we know you are on our side."</p><p>Jon interlocked his fingers, accepting his reasoning while noting the implications of a word he used.</p><p>"Makes sense," He replied. "And...does the fact you addressed me as your Grace means that Robb truly named me as his heir then?"</p><p>For a moment, Howland Reed seemed to hesitate, for some reason, then he turned to look at the hall at the end of their pathway.</p><p>"Yes," The Lord of House Reed confirmed. "But I think we are better off discussing those details over there."</p><p>And with that, he turned quiet again, making Jon raise an eyebrow. But when it seemed clear he wasn't going to continue, the secret god shrugged and kept walking. Eventually, they made it to the main hall and Jon noticed a woman that seemed to be in her mid-fifties turned her head around to look at him.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Jon smiled as she approached, realizing who she was while she gave him a fierce grin.</p><p>"My my, how have you grown, pup!" The woman said merrily. "I almost didn't recognize you. It has been so long since the last time I visited Winterfell with you in it, after all. But look at you! Every inch a man now."</p><p>Jon chuckled. "It is really good to see you again, Lady Maege of House Mormont. I am glad the reports of your demise were greatly exaggerated."</p><p>"You and me both, although unfortunately, most of my daughters weren't so fortunate," She said grimly. "Tell me, have you heard news of Lyanna?"</p><p>The new god grinned. "She was the very first of our Nothern bannermen to answer the call so that Sansa and I could fight to reclaim Winterfell. Others have joined us since, but it is her footsteps they are following. You would be proud of her."</p><p>"Oh, you have no idea how much it pleases me to hear that!" Maege said, her eyes wide. "I know my youngest never expected become the Lady of our lands but I am so glad she has been up to the challenge. And that she hasn't forgotten that Bear Island knows no king but the King in the North, whose name is Stark!" She added with a shout as she clenched her fists.</p><p>Jon nodded towards her with respect. "Your House's loyalty will not go unrewarded, I assure you."</p><p>At that moment, Howland urged them to sit down around the hearth, which they did. "Now, I know you want me to answer your questions but if you don't mind, I would like to catch up with you a bit first. Old habits and all that," The Crannogman explained. "Like, how did you get an Ice Dragon? I am sure there is a fascinating story there."</p><p>The young king shrugged and decided to humor his host for a while. It was only good manners, after all.</p><p>"Well, it's a long story and I don't really want to explain it all in-depth right now," He admitted. "But I guess a good point to start would be my terrible trip to Hardhome and the significance it played later..."</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Duskendale: The Crownlands</strong> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Jamie Lannister finally managed to reach the gates of Duskendale with the regrouped remnants of his forces. It seemed many of the soldiers of his army that had scattered in every direction after that thrice-damned dragon showed up out of nowhere and broke their siege of Riverrun had decided to flee south instead of their homeland to the west, seeking the relative safety of King's Landing. And by the time he had managed to escape the Riverlands and into the Crownlands, separated forces had regrouped until he had nearly 2 thousand men under his command again.</p><p><em>"Two thousand survivors out of eight thousand and NOTHING to show for it,"</em> Jamie thought grimly. <em>"This was a military disaster."</em></p><p>One of the men from the last groups of soldiers that rejoined his host near the frontier had told them the dragon had started chasing a column they were traveling with and let loose blasts of ice against them until they were all but decimated, with a few hiding in the riverbanks long enough until the flying behemoth passed. And they had reported that they saw it in the distance attacking garrison not long after, in the Stoney Sept. That could only mean the dragon and its rider, whoever it was, were trying to chase his forces out of the Riverlands and wipe out the Lannister-Frey presence in the towns and holdfasts of the region.</p><p>As the residents of the walled town opened their gates, the fired Kingsguard wondered what to do next. It had been almost a day and a half since they last saw the winged beast, ever since the exited the Riverlands, so Jamie was inclined to think for now that the rider was content for the time being to allow the ones that managed to escape that country to keep their lives if they didn't return. But even if that was the case, this defeat was completely unacceptable. The Iron Throne will have to retaliate somehow and the very pride of House Lannister itself was on the line.</p><p>But for now, he was going to have to play it safe. They would rest on Duskendale until tomorrow and then march the rest of the way to King's Landing. Hopefully more scattered soldiers would have turned up on the fortress town by then. Besides, surely some ravens would have already reached the capital by now with news of this Ice Dragon wreaking havoc on his forces. And eventually, information will reach them of the identity of the rider. It was only a matter of time.</p><p><em>"Hopefully Qyburn will have some ideas on how to deal with such a beast,"</em> The Lannister commander thought. <em>"He is the closest thing to a Maester that practices magic that I know, after all, if what he did to the Mountain was any indication."</em></p><p>Then he sighed. Seems like the looming threat of Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons won't be the only winged menace they will have to deal with.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>When Jon was done with his story, once more omitting the fact he had become a god, Maege Mormont and Howland Reed glanced at each other for a long moment.</p><p>"Well," Said the Lord of Greywater Watch, "Now that's a tale for the singers and mummers."</p><p>The She-bear of the North tilted her head. "And it seems like this time, more than just winter is coming."</p><p>Then, Howland Reed stood up and went to a nearby desk. Over there, he opened a small chest and showed him dozens of letters in his hands.</p><p>"These are the signed copies of late King Robb's last will and testament where he officially named you his heir," He said as he opened one of them. "As you can see, it also shows the signatures of most of the major lords and heirs that were present at the time, most of which sadly died at the Red Wedding before word could be properly spread."</p><p>"However, it seems that with your recent actions the time is finally right to rally the rest of your bannermen and defeat the enemies that remain in our homelands," He went on. "Which is why I am proud to renew my oaths of loyalty to House Stark," Lord Reed declared. "Hail Jon Stark, King of the North and the Trident! Long may he reign!"</p><p>LONG MAY HE REIGN!" Roared Maege Mormont and the Crannogmen guards in attendance.</p><p>The young man, now feeling secure in his claim to kingship, took a deep breath as he looked at them bending the knee. Then he smiled and motioned them to rise. "Thank you. I vow to do my best to remain worthy of the trust you have placed in me."</p><p>Maege Mormont took that moment to speak. "I know my honorable daughter already declared for you, but I brought with me 18 warriors of Bear Island when I came to Greywater Watch. It's not much, I know but every one of my seasoned islanders is worth 10 summer children from the Westerlands. Just say the word and we are yours to command. We have been waiting for the right chance to strike at our enemies for too long already."</p><p>And with that, the young King and his new bannermen set out to strategize.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>One hour later, Howland Reed had retired to his chambers, after Jon had decided to send Maege Mormont to Seagard in the Riverlands to reinforce House Mallister at their soon-to-begin Siege of the Twins. Having parted with his dear guest of many months with a more literal than not bear hug, the islanders departed Greywater Watch to go fight their enemies in the name of their new king.</p><p>"Their new king," Holand mused. "Oh, if only they knew."</p><p>Jon had asked if he could lay down for a few hours since he had been riding almost non stop for the last few days and his back could use a bit of rest. He had his servants prepare the best guest room for him and then they parted ways for a time. But now, he was back in his quarters, staring at the chest he had been dreading to open for nearly 2 years.</p><p>Yet, he stared at the note his son Jojen had made on the top of the box and knew now was the time.</p><p>
  <strong> <span class="u"> <em>"To be opened when the unknowing heir of Ice and Fire arrives at Greywater Watch on a dragon."</em> </span> </strong>
</p><p>The Lord sighed. His son possessed the ancient gift of the Children of the Forest in his bloodline, the power of Greensight. That allowed him to dream the future, most times metaphorically, sometimes more clearly. In fact, it appears he had foreseen part of the effects of the Red Wedding even though he wasn't entirely sure what to make of it at the time. But he had certainly witnessed enough future events to learn that Maege Mormont would seek shelter in his keep and had instructed him to hide her there until the time was right. When he had asked when would he know, he replied that the note he had just reread would be his cue to let her go, among other things.</p><p>"I hope you had a good reason to make me postpone the revelation of this secret, son." He muttered.</p><p>And with that, he used the key to open it and saw a letter inside. Anxious to finally learn more of his son after he sent him to guide Bran Stark so long ago, he broke the seal and started reading.</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> <strong>"Father, if you are reading this after heeding my last request, then thank you for trusting me. I imagine it wasn't easy to keep the secret of Jon's heritage after he finally found you. But I am afraid there will be a lot to do from here on out and discretion will be paramount on certain things."</strong> </em> </span>
</p><p>"<span class="u"><em><strong>As you know, my dreams of the future are often full of symbolism that are hard to fully unravel before the events unfold, even if I can still be guided by them to an extent. But I left this letter to you before leaving on my journey to find Bran because my Greensight suddenly became clearer than ever one night. And what I saw...surprised me."</strong></em></span></p><p>Howland inhaled sharply as the letter detailed the events of Hardhome, the return of the Night King, Jon's murder and resurrection, the alliance at the North Grove, the young king's bonding with the Ice Dragon, and more details that Jon had shared with them since he arrived a couple of hours earlier. This was absolute, detailed proof that his son's Greensight had become more focused than ever, even if it didn't last beyond that night. With hands shaking, he kept reading.</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> <strong>"I had been trying to understand why my dreams of foresight became so enhanced temporarily and the only explanation I have been able to come up with is that Jon's resurrection and subsequent rise to magical power became the center of a mystical quake, even mightier to the currents of magic than the rebirth of the fire dragons by Daenerys Targaryen. So powerful, in fact, that the echoes of that quake were felt in the past too and some of those that could still see the future had their senses flooded with images of what was to come or what may come with more clarity than would normally be possible."</strong> </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> <strong>"And that is why, after having seen two different pathways that the future could take, I must ask you to do something very important for the good of our people: don't tell Jon about his true identity just yet. If you do, I foresee that events will unfold in such a way that Daenerys Targaryen will travel beyond the Wall with her dragons for an overconfident assault and they will be killed by the Night King and his lieutenants. And if they are all turned into wights, the White Walkers will be able to destroy the Wall and invade the realms of men with their dead army before the North is ready."</strong> </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> <strong>"You may wonder then, when will it be safe to reveal the truth? And the only answer I can tell you right now is, based on what I have seen...after the Dragons have finished the second warlike Dance. But not before."</strong> </em> </span>
</p><p>The Lord of Greywater Watch grimaced at that, not liking the historical parallels at all. The first Dance of Dragons was terrible, after all, and right now they should be focusing on working together, not draining more of their strength with the Army of the Dead at their doorstep.</p><p>But before he could contemplate disregarding his son's request, he read some lines that made his heart grow ice-cold with dread.</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> <strong>"You may be thinking that it will be a bad idea to wait that long. And to that I say, if you won't do it for the realm then do it because..it's my dying wish. I am so sorry for keeping this from you, father, but I also foresaw that I will die in the process of getting Bran to the Greenseer cave safely. Meera will make it back but, I am afraid that, if you are reading these words for the first time right now, then I am already dead."</strong> </em> </span>
</p><p>Howland couldn't stop tears from flowing down his face right then, grief suddenly hitting him with full force. With trembling hands, he continued reading the letter his son wrote that was getting shorter and shorter.</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> <strong>"I love you, father. And for all the times I have caused you pain or disappointment, I apologize. But this is bigger than you, Meera, and me. This is about the very survival of humanity. So, please, I beg you, listen to me. Don't make House Reed be responsible for the chaos that would follow my second vision..."</strong> </em> </span>
</p><p>The middle-aged man swallowed hard and turned the page around for the last paragraph.</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> <strong>"I left you a final letter at the bottom of the chest where I wrote small messages to everyone at Greywater Watch I wanted to say goodbye to, but wouldn't get the chance to do in person. And please, don't blame Meera. She did the best she could, and I don't need Greensight to know that she will be feeling too much guilt for not being fast enough. But I don't blame her, so neither should you. She was the best sister and protector I could have asked for. Thank you for everything, father. I hope we will be able to see each other again someday. Goodbye..."</strong> </em> </span>
</p><p>The grieving parent wept for a long while when everything finally sunk in. But after a few more minutes, he took a deep breath and calmed down a bit as he tried to focus, his face striken.</p><p>"I am sorry, my king, but I must honor my son's memory and fulfill his dying wish," Howland Reed said to his empty room.</p><p>Then he sighed. "Forgive me, Lyanna. I know Robert isn't a threat anymore but it seems your son is going to have to wait a little longer."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, I imagine many of you didn't see that coming but there is a method to my madness here, if you wanna call it that. Make no mistake, Jon WILL learn of his true identity eventually. But I have several reasons for drawing out the secret for a while longer, some of which will be made apparent before too long. But for now, I hope you enjoy the ride. As they say, sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. </p><p>I hope you enjoyed this and to hear from you all soon. Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0046"><h2>46. Arrival at White Harbor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, enjoy the first chapter on the biggest settlement north of the Neck. And the harvest of some sideplots I seeded in Story Arc Two: Prophetic Quake. Have fun!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>A few hours past noon, Jon Stark had decided to press on to White Harbor so that he could try to reach the city before it got dark. After instructing Howland Reed to keep his bannermen on high alert, the young king informed him that an army of knights from the Vale will be traveling through the Neck any day now so that they can regroup with his own forces in the Northern Wolfswood. So, he assured him they were authorized to cross the marchlands but also specified that if any Freys managed to escape the Twins and fled North, they were to be captured but not killed until Jon could make certain that they had participated in the butchery that was the Red Wedding or not. His late father's old friend assured him he would take care of it and wished him well on his travels right as he tied the chest with the signed letters of Robb's will to the saddle of his mighty she-dragon.</p><p>Then he had taken off towards the mouth of the White Knife, where the river meets the sea. Jon had taken note that the farther north they traveled, the faster his Ice Dragon went, further reinforcing his conviction that she feels more energized in colder climates. In fact, he actually noticed her grin at one point where the winter wind blew directly upon them, her tongue tasting the air. Relived that she was feeling better, Jon focused on leading her through the clouds but even then, he was actually surprised when her increased speed allowed them to reach the only true city in the North before sunset.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Deciding it would be prudent to not accidentally terrify House Manderly's subjects, he landed slowly and deliberately on the massive, 50 feet stone from the outer harbor that, if he recalled correctly from his lessons with Maester Luwin back at Winterfell, was known as the Seal Rock. He raised both his hands above his head in a placating gesture so that the crossbowmen and other soldiers from the ringfort of the massive rock would understand he was looking for trouble.</p><p>He ended up raising his eyebrow, however, when they lowered their bows immediately and knelt.</p><p>"The King in the North has arrived!" One of the soldiers cheered. "Hail to the King!"</p><p>"HAIL TO THE KING!" They echoed with a passion.</p><p><em>"Well, clearly they had been expecting me,"</em> Jon thought to himself as he nodded towards them. <em>"I imagine I have Blackfish to thank for that."</em></p><p>Outwardly, he focused on the most senior man of the garrison, who had the air of command about him.</p><p>"Thank you for the warm welcome," He said with a light smile. "I imagine Lord Manderly has been expecting me then. And I have important business to discuss with him. Do I have safe passage to enter the city on my dragon?"</p><p>"Actually," The commanding officer said slowly, his gaze still focusing on the enormous winged reptile, "Lord Manderly sent word that if you arrived here first, as seemed most likely due to the wide landing area for your dragon, then it would be best if you could wait until he sent for you. You see, after we received word from Riverrun about your campaign to liberate the Riverlands, our liege decided the time was right to finally get rid of all the known Bolton-Frey soldiers and loyalists that were brought to White Harbor to coerce his compliance after the Red Wedding," He explained. "It has taken most of the day but last I heard they were nearly done with the last block of resistance. They probably already saw the dragon in the distance but we will send word anyway." He added before turning to a young soldier that looked like a squire. "You! Let Lord Manderly know that the king is waiting!"</p><p>The short man rushed to obey and was soon out of sight when he crossed the stairs leading down. Jon scratched his chin at the explanation. He wasn't expecting the Riverlords to swear on their honor that Jon was now their king as well as the North's, at least not so soon but he supposed he had told them he was going to White Harbor after stopping on Greywater Watch. And if they had crushed the traitors among them then, technically, that accelerated his plans for this region. Still, he would have appreciated being informed by his bannermen.</p><p>Regardless, he soon had reason to snap out of his thoughts because the last person he expected to see suddenly climbed to the top of the Seal Rock through the stairs. Jon blinked rapidly.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"Sam?!" He asked in shock. "What are you doing here?"</p><p>"Long story," His best friend from the Night's Watch said with an awed look as he stared at the Ice Dragon. "The short version is that an Archmaester wanted to travel North to offer his services to Winterfell and offered to take me on as his apprentice if I went with him to assist him. Good to see you. And my, that's one amazing beast. Looks a bit too similar in color to White Walkers for my liking, though."</p><p>"Good to see you too," He said slowly as he analyzed his words. "And don't worry about that, I have it on good authority that the Ice Dragons and the Army of the Dead are NOT on good terms right now. But what Archmaester are you talking about?"</p><p>"That would be me," Replied a slower newcomer from the top of the stairs.</p><p>Jon turned around and saw a short and squat elderly man covered in furs, with white hair above his head and also coming out of his clearly long broken nose. He was holding a very long rod with his large hands that, to Jon's immense surprise, was actually made of Valyrian Steel. A ring of the same precious and rare metal was around one of his fingers and in his other hand he was carrying a book that was hugged to his torso.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>The man took a moment to grin at the Ice Dragon with a look of absolute delight before he remembered that he was expected to bow, which he hurried to do.</p><p>"Archmaester Marwyn, most senior expert of the Higher Mysteries fron the Citadel of Oldtown, at your service, my king," The man declared.</p><p>Jon's eyes widened, as he remembered his lessons from Luwin. "You are one of the few Maesters that specialized in magic?"</p><p>"And the most experienced at the craft among at the present, if I say so myself," He replied. "I am only one that has managed to reach the status of Archmaester of the Higher Mysteries in decades, after all."</p><p>"Huh," Jon murmured, interest in his tone as he made an educated guess in his mind. "I imagine one of your magical experiments guided you to the decision to come here, then."</p><p>The elderly man chuckled. "Indeed. But that's a long story for an occasion when your schedule is less full. Suffice to say for now that I am volunteering my services as the first Grand Maester of your reign if you'll have me, your Majesty."</p><p>Jon paused at that, realizing it would certainly be more practical to have a Grand Maester that took magic seriously, given the nature of the threats they will soon face. Still, he took a moment to look at his old friend, who nodded enthusiastically.</p><p>"Well, I can hardly turn you down without letting you make your case, especially if my good friend Samwell vouches for you," The young king replied in a diplomatic tone. "You may follow me to New Castle when it's safe to travel and we can discuss our business after I am done with my meeting with Lord Manderly. Agreed?"</p><p>"Of course, your Grace," Marwyn replied with a wide smile. "Now, do you think it would be safe for me to approach this magnificent magical creature? I have always wanted to travel to Lands of Always Winter in search of one but the opportunity never presented itself."</p><p>Before Jon could reply, movement caught his attention at the stairs again. He turned his head and he saw an attractive looking woman with hair as dark as her eyes and smooth skin the tone of honey. She moved arm above her head, mayhaps to help focus her gaze on the regal she-dragon before her.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Then, her smile became as radiant as the silver necklace she was wearing.</p><p>"Oh my, what a sight to behold!" She said in obvious glee.</p><p>The dragonrider raised an eyebrow at that and Sam turned to look at her in surprise. "Sarella? What are you doing here? I thought you left with the crew of the <em>Feathered Kiss</em> this morning."</p><p>"And miss the opportunity to see a legendary Ice Dragon up close?" She asked him with a look of incredulity. "Ridden by a King that will surely become a source of inspiration to bastards everywhere? Are you kidding me?"</p><p>Then she curtseyed eagerly and gave him a big, big smile. "I am Sarella Sand, your Grace. Daughter of Prince Oberyn of House Martell. It is an honor to meet you, sir."</p><p>The secret god was silent for a moment, never having considered before that his ascension from bastard to King of the North and the Trident could make him popular with the downtrodden since his background would make him relate to them more. But before long, he returned her smile with warmth.</p><p>"It's always good to meet one of my own, especially when they are as pleasant as you," He replied with a respectful nod. "So, I take it you traveled with Sam and Archmaester Marwyn on the ship that took them to White Harbor?"</p><p>Marwyn chuckled. "Sarella here had been posing as a young man at the Citadel for about a year so that she could properly study within its great halls. But her cover was blown right around the time we were leaving for White Harbor, on her mother's ship of all vessels. So, she had to flee across the sea to evade an unpleasant time. A shame really. She managed to forge three links of her chain in such a short amount of time. Not a small feat."</p><p>The Dornish woman turned to the elderly man and sighed. "It's good to see at least some Maesters realize women can have potential too, if given the chance to get a good education. But yeah, a shame. I was looking forward to finishing a full chain before dropping the act in front of the stunned faces of the conclave members during my initiation ceremony. Oh well, I am still young. Maybe another time."</p><p>It was then Jon's turn to chuckle. "You are an intriguing woman," He said earnestly.</p><p>She beamed at him for that. Before anyone else could say anything more, however, the messenger that the commander of the garrison had sent returned to the top of the rock. He took a moment to catch his breath, then bowed before him.</p><p>"Lord Manderly is ready to see you, your Grace," He explained. "He waits for you at Merman's Court."</p><p>Jon nodded in response, then paused for a moment as he looked across the bay from the tall rock formation to the nearby city, before turning to his old friend, the prospective Grand Maester, and the potentially useful contact with House Martell that happened to be pleasant company.</p><p><em>"Oh, what the hell,"</em> He thought to himself as he silently made a quick wish to expand the length of his saddle in secret.</p><p>Then, he placed a hand on the suddenly bigger riding chair and grinned. "I have room for the three of you. Want a short ride across the harbor?"</p><p>"YES!" Sarella shouted immediately, her expression a visage of joy.</p><p>The faces of Marwyn and Samwell were clearly quite excited as well. Jon chuckled.</p><p>"Then hurry up, I shouldn't keep the Lord of one of the mightiest northern houses waiting." </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And as I hinted back in story arc 2, Archmaester Marwyn has decided to join the party. And for those that don't know, Sarella Sand, a character from the books, is technically Jon's 5th cousin from his Targaryen side of the family tree. He just doesn't know that yet XD. Now, what could that possibly mean for the future of a story like this one :P</p><p>Heh, would like to read your theories on the matter. Regardless, she is usually described as a bit darker-skinned than I portrayed her here but she was the most fitting porn actress I could find, gif-wise, that would best work on some of my future plans. Apologies if that offended anybody. It wasn't my intention if so. Simply a matter of making my plotline easier and therefore keeping the pace of my updates on the faster end.</p><p>Anyway, for now, know that there are more surprises ahead on White Harbor. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0047"><h2>47. Stark Men and Women</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, for all of you that expressed your interest in Sarella Sand's inclusion to the story, I have a feeling you are really going to like this chapter XD But first, allow me to say that I dedicate this chapter to two of my reviewers:</p><p>First to The Eternal Carnival for posting the 1000th comment. Thanks for this support on that inspiring number for my relatively new story.</p><p>And secondly, I also dedicate this chapter to Beleriond, for all the detailed suggestions he has been offering me recently. They have been helpful already, so thanks for that.</p><p>Now, as always, read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>"Ahhhhh!!! I can't believe I am actually doing this!" Sarella Sand screamed in downright amazement as the dragon took off.</p><p>Jon chuckled as she hugged him tightly from behind so that she could feel safer. "I know what you mean. I have traveled from beyond the Wall to Riverrun and back to the North by now but flying astride the she-dragon I have bonded with still feels surreal. I doubt soaring majestically through the air will ever get old for me.</p><p>"I can imagine!" She said, giggling merrily as she turned her head to look to the city below. "And oh, so your dragon is female? Good to know!" She added, and Jon didn't have to look back to figure out she was smirking.</p><p>Samwell's reaction was a lot more subdued, given that he was just turning his head around to check everything around him, after a loud, initial yelp that is. Marwyn on the other hand couldn't stop himself from laughing, triumph on his tone.</p><p>"Thank you, my king!" He said reverently. "This has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember."</p><p>"You're welcome," Jon replied, his mood improving.</p><p>Then they remained silent so that they could enjoy the rest of the sights, given that they knew their trip would be a short one. They merely needed a couple of minutes in the air to cross the bay and reach the seat of House Manderly, starting by flying over the outer seawalls.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>Once they left it behind, he deliberately urged his dragon to fly more slowly so that his companions could enjoy the trip for a bit longer. And so, in silent awe, they appreciated the airborne view of the city, historically reserved for the rare few. Directly below, Jon spotted several ships in the harbor and to his right, there was a fortress which now served as a prison that was called Wolf's Den, if he recalled his family history correctly.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Which he did, but it still made the young king smile to see that the loyal bannermen his Stark ancestors took in had turned the land they were granted into a booming city over the centuries. The North has benefited greatly from White Harbor and the family that rules it.</p><p>"Oh, so those are the famous merman statues of White Harbor," Sarella said as she pointed with one finger.</p><p>Jon looked in that direction and indeed saw the first in a row of marble mermaids across the wide cobblestoned street, with bowls of whale oil currently unlit at the base.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"So it seems," The secret god responded. "I imagine House Manderly wanted the people from other kingdoms that reached their city by ship to learn early on that the merman is in their sigil."</p><p>Sarella hummed in agreement and gripped him more tightly a strong blast of wind hit them form a moment. Jon chuckled.</p><p>"Don't worry, I give you my word as a king that I won't let you fall to your death," He assured her, even if he kept quiet about the exact measures he could take to guarantee her survival if she did fall.</p><p>"Well, even in Dorne I have heard much about Ned Stark's legendary honor," The Great House bastard revealed. "If you have taken his lessons to heart, then that promise certainly makes me feel much, much better."</p><p>Jon chuckled. "I like you," He responded simply, a bit surprised at the ease he was getting along with her.</p><p>The Dornish woman relaxed her grip. "I am really pleased to hear that, your Grace."</p><p>Right at that moment, they reached New Castle, the seat of Lord Manderly, from above.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A few seconds later they landed, with an honor guard of two dozen soldiers facing each other at opposite sides of the road that lead to the entrance serving as their welcoming committee. They did look at his dragon with wonder but they also quickly composed their features and greeted him before they could even start climbing down.</p><p>"Hail to the King!" They roared. "Hail to the King!"</p><p>Jon smiled lightly. Emotionally speaking, he still has to get used to all that cheering but right now it was better not to show his mild discomfort in public. He had bannermen to inspire, after all. So, he waved at them, and the men wasted no time in clanging their shields with their tridents as their morale was raised.</p><p>"Seems like they like the new King in the North and the Trident, your Grace," Sarella said in amusement from behind him. "As do I." She added as a whisper.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jon Stark and his companions entered the Merman's Court, just in time for Wyman Manderly to order his guards to take a prisoner that was brought before him to their dungeons at the Wolf's Den.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Then, everyone at the table noticed his arrival and they stood up from their seats to bow. After that, the ruler of White Harbor crossed the distance from his Merman-carved chair and gave him a wide grin when they were facing each other.</p><p>"I must admit, when I received word from sailors coming from the northern Riverlands that an Ice Dragon had started waging war on the Lannister forces and those thrice-damned Freys, I was skeptical. But when the Blackfish sent me a raven confirming those suspicions while delivering his own copy of Robb Stark's will, I felt more renewed than I had in years. Welcome to White Harbor, my King."</p><p>Jon nodded in respect and shook his hand. "I am pleased to be here. These are my friends," He added while tilting his head to the side. "Samwell Tarly, Archmaester Marwyn, and Sarella Sand. I was reunited with them when I reached the city and told them they could accompany me so that we could catch up later. I trust it's no trouble?"</p><p>"None at all," Wyman replied with a curt nod in their direction. "I am sure they will enjoy their stay at Merman's Court."</p><p>They smiled politely in return but otherwise remained silent. So, the young king took that as his cue to continue.</p><p>"I was informed that you have spent the day hunting down Bolton loyalists within the city," He said. "How did that go?"</p><p>"There were some unfortunate losses among my city guard," The Lord admitted. "But the operation was a complete success. All the soldiers, captains, and envoys with known ties to the Boltons or the Freys have been killed in action or taken to the cells. It's the unknown ones we will have to worry about until you have retaken Winterfell but overall, we are in a much better position right now."</p><p>"In all honesty," Wyman went on. "I was still hesitant for a bit to take action after reading the letter, remembering the death of my son at the Red Wedding, but my courageous and youngest granddaughter reminded me of my oaths. Wylla, why don't you tell our king what you told me to bring me back to my senses?"</p><p>Jon turned to a blonde girl that looked about 13 years old, smirking at being given the opportunity to address him.</p><p>"I merely reminded my Lord grandsire of a very important promise we made, crucial to our family history and our honor," She said. "For you see, my King, a thousand years before the Conquest, a promise was made, and oaths were sworn in the Wolf's Den before the old gods and the new. When we were sore beset and friendless, hounded from our homes, and in peril of our lives, the wolves took us in and nourished us and protected us against our enemies. The city is built upon the land they gave us. In return, we swore that we should always be their men. Stark men!"</p><p>There were cheers around the court that echoed her final words and Jon smiled at the loyal little girl. "I am pleased to hear you hadn't forgotten that, just as I hadn't forgotten all the good that House Manderly has brought to the North. Now, we can hammer out the details of strategy later but know that between my growing army at the Wolfswood and the reinforcements we will get from the Knights of the Vale now that they have entered the fray, we will have at least 7 thousand men ready to attack House Bolton within the fortnight, and that's without counting the forces from the Riverlands guarding our rear flank. So, will you join me in our fight to reclaim the North?"</p><p>As a reply, Lord Manderly unsheathed his ancestral sword and bent the knee without hesitation, the sound of the blade hitting the floor echoing across the court as men and women watched in rapt attention.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"House Manderly will stand behind House Stark as we have for 13 centuries," He proclaimed. "And I will stand behind Jon Stark. The King in the North!"</p><p>"THE KING IN THE NORTH! THE KING IN THE NORTH! THE KING IN THE NORTH!" Chanted everyone else in the hall.</p><p>Jon took a deep breath at that, feeling elated at being regarded as worthy of their fealty. He exchanged a glance with his old brother of the Night's Watch and Sam gave him a warm smile. Even Sarella was screaming her support, adding her voice to the cheers despite the fact she was from Dorne.</p><p>And then he closed his eyes momentarily, feeling nostalgic. <em>"Thank you, Robb. I vow to reclaim our home from the traitors that conspired against you."</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A couple of hours later, Jon was taken to one of the finest bed chambers of New Castle so that he could clean himself up from his journey. Lord Manderly had told him that there were two important guests at his holdfast that wanted to discuss matters of great importance with him. But while he had told them it could wait until tomorrow, Jon assured his host that he still had the energy to meet with one of them before turning in for the night.</p><p>So, once he had freshened up, he excited his door and raised an eyebrow when he saw Sarella Sand waiting for him. She blushed slightly at his expression.</p><p>"Apologies if I have been acting...too casually since we have met, your Grace." She said. "It's just...natural children get a bad reputation for their origins which is no fault of their own, so when I heard that a fellow bastard was raised as a king by many mighty Lords, I became, well, hopeful that things can get better for us. And I am pleased to say that, as far as first impressions go, I am not disappointed."</p><p>Jon smiled warmly at her. "I am honored to hear that. And between you and me, I have been thinking of some...government services I would like to make at some point after retaking Winterfell that would improve the educational and economic opportunities of the less fortunate bastards of my kingdom."</p><p>Her eyes widened at that. "That would be wonderful and mean so much to so many. You would have my undying gratitude if you try your best to do that now that you are king, just on principle."</p><p>Jon titled his head, as sudden ideas rushed through his mind. "Good to know. But I am curious, Archmaester Marwyn said you managed to complete links of an unfinished chain while undercover at the Citadel. What topics did you master?"</p><p>Sarella grinned at the question before pointing at her short silver necklace hanging around her throat that he had seen earlier. "Well, one of them is actually this one, hiding its significance in plain sight. That said, only the frontal part is an actual link, the rest is a thin metallic chain to bind it around my neck," She explained. "The silver links symbolizes that I have studied medicine, healing, and the functions of the body. I actually managed to stop the spread of greyscale on a child on the first day she showed symptoms since the window of opportunity was still open. Her mother was so grateful she constantly delivered cherry pies to me every month. Gonna miss them now that I had to flee Oldtown," She added as she remembered her situation suddenly.</p><p>Then she shrugged and grabbed a pouch that was hanging from her waist and retrieved a copper link. "This one signifies that I have read enough tomes and scrolls about the history of the known world to earn a copper chain. In fact, I even produced a short, but praised, written treatise to the archives of the Citadel based on some investigations I once made when visiting the ruins of Shandystone, a holdfast in Southeastern Dorne. You see, long ago, Shandystone used to have many colorful mosaics with artwork based on the style of the Ancient Rhoynar, the paintings produced by men and women that had accompanied Princess Nymeria on her 10,000 ships. So, I used my expanded knowledge of the history of the Rhoynar to give a fresh, analytic take on the several mosaic pieces I brought with me to the Citadel. I imagine the librarians will move my scroll for future reference to the restricted section after what I pulled, though."</p><p>"Still impressive," Jon complimented her, his tone sincere. "And the last link?"</p><p>Sarella brought out a yellow gold link. "This one signifies mathematics and economics. I actually excelled so much that, before earning my chain, I was selected as one of the few acolytes from that area of study that gets picked by the Bank of Oldtown to get some practical experience with banking and other related business. When you get chosen for that select group, getting a yellow gold link is practically guaranteed unless you somehow managed to ruin someone's bank account, which I was fortunately smart enough to avoid." She added with a smirk.</p><p>Then she sighed. "I know I had to pretend to be someone I wasn't to get accepted but I am still going to miss the Citadel. So much knowledge to explore, and so little time."</p><p>Jon remained silent for a long moment once she was done. Then, some of his plans for the future started taking a more solidified shape in his mind. Before he could stop himself to consider it further, he opened his mouth.</p><p>"Would you like to become a member of my court?" He asked her. "I could certainly use the counsel of a brilliant woman like you, especially given some of the projects I would like to develop for the benefit of our fellow bastards."</p><p>The Dornish woman's jaw almost dropped the floor at that, her eyes wide. Eventually, she shook her head and then nodded vigorously. "Of course! I would be beyond honored! Thank you so much, your Grace, I swear I will strive to be a worthy advisor."</p><p>Jon chuckled. "I believe you. Now, how about you accompany me to the Merman's Court? Apparently, I have an important guest to meet. Think of it as your first official opportunity to advise me after I have heard them out."</p><p>Sarella Sand smiled radiantly and curtseyed before him. And then, they walked down the hall, side by side.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, I hope you enjoyed this one! Now, any theories as to who is the guest Jon is gonna meet next? Oh and remember he is meeting another highborn visitor tomorrow, as he said he wanted to sleep before long.</p><p>Regardless, I had fun with this chapter, so I hope you did too. Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0048"><h2>48. A Thorny Request</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, here is the first visitor that Jon will meet. Hope you like the developments that will spawn from their interactions.</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>Jon Stark, the newly proclaimed King in the North by the people of White Harbor, entered the Merman Court for the second time that day, with Sarella Sand by his side. This time Lord Wyman was there to greet them just beyond the door and bowed.</p><p>"Your Grace," He greeted. "Our important guest is waiting at one of the adjacent rooms to the main hall. If you'll follow me," He said, while his gaze shifted to his companion.</p><p>Jon took that as his cue to make it official. "I have decided to take Sarella Sand as one of my advisors to have her experienced counsel on a particular project I would like to create after retaking Winterfell. She is welcomed to accompany me to that meeting and listen."</p><p>"I see," The Lord of White Harbor said slowly. "Well, in that case, let's not keep her Ladyship waiting."</p><p>And so they followed him to one of the lateral doors of the court and crossed through, being greeted on the other side by the side of a room that was connected to a garden. Within it, there was an elderly but regal-looking woman writing what was probably a letter. But soon enough, she noticed their presence and looked up.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="chapter-content">
  <p>"You're Grace, allow me to present to you Lady Olenna of House Tyrell," Lord Manderly announced. "She arrived in the city yesterday and has been eager to meet you."</p>
  <p>Jon raised an eyebrow. He hadn't heard much from her before but she did know that it has long been suspected that when the member of House Redwyne married into House Tyrell, it didn't take her long to become the real power of the Great House from behind the scenes, a role she has apparently kept to this day. He could tell she was examining him with her experienced eyes but her expression was otherwise unreadable. Waving at Sarella so she could give them some space by taking a few steps back, he respectfully nodded at one of the most powerful women in the Reach, that had earned the Queen of Thorns moniker.</p>
  <p>"Pleasure to meet you, Lady Olenna," Jon said. "Although I must say, I wasn't expecting to see you here."</p>
  <p>"And I didn't believe I would make my way to White Harbor a handful of days ago," She replied in an amused but tired tone. "Alas, I have lived long enough to know that the board changes when new players enter the game. And when I heard you were proclaimed King of the North and the Trident by rights of inheritance and by the power of your dragon, I simply knew that I should meet you in person and see if we could strike a bargain."</p>
  <p>"I see," Jon replied with a calculating gaze. "May I ask how exactly did you learn of that? I have been a king for less than a week."</p>
  <p>"Honestly? House Redwyne has a few spies in the Riverlands," The elderly woman revealed. "After word had spread of your ascension among your bannermen, it was only a matter of time before they learn of it too; at which point they hurried to send me a raven for my eyes only."</p>
  <p>"Originally, I was going to go to Highgarden instead as I was already preparing to leave that wretched capital," She went on, "but I changed course to White Harbor after realizing we could help each other at this critical juncture."</p>
  <p>"Hmm," The young king hummed as he pulled up the chair to sit down in front of her. "Very well then. I am listening."</p>
  <p>"Well for starters, have you heard of the rearmament of the Faith Militant by the new High Septon?" She asked.</p>
  <p>Jon frowned. He had heard of that development from the Riverlords before he departed for Greywater Watch and he really didn't like what he had heard. Those zealots appeared to be drunk with power while trying to brutally punish anyone they considered to be a sinner in their view, which made them hypocrites as far as he was concerned. He only read the Seven-pointed Star long enough to realize he still preferred the more traditional northern worship of the Old Gods, but he had learned enough to understand their crude, violent ways in that front were not compatible with several important teachings of their holy text. And that level of unpredictable cruelty combined with a hunger for power so that they can enforce their views on everyone, even those who didn't believe in them, made them dangerous.</p>
  <p>"My bannermen did inform me of that piece of news from King's Landing," He ended up replying. "And in all honesty, I suspect they are going to be a major problem for the safety of the people of Westeros if they are allowed to spread their militant ways everywhere the faith is worshiped on the continent."</p>
  <p>Lady Olenna nodded at that, looking pleased. "Then we are in agreement. Good to know. You see, my grandchildren are being kept as prisoners in King's Landing by the Faith Militant, Margaery's cell is simply more gilded than her brother's at this point." She explained in distaste. "Worst mistake Cersei Lannister ever made, giving military power to a fanatic from a religion that preaches loudly against incest, especially after so many men and women took those rumors about her and her brother as fact."</p>
  <p>The secret god of incest tried his hardest to make his face unreadable at that remark. Then he focused on making his tone of voice neutral. "I can certainly understand your concern for your grandchildren. But let's speak plainly, my Lady. What exactly do you want me to do?"</p>
  <p>"In short? Rescue my family from King's Landing and if you have to bring down the roof of the Sept of Baelor on the High Sparrow with your large dragon to get that done, then so be it," She replied bluntly. "You would be crushing a massive rebellion waiting to happen if you do, especially given that it would only be a matter of time before he sets his followers on the North for its worship of the Old Gods. And you would be earning the eternal gratitude of House Tyrell and House Redwyne as a result, the richest power block in the Reach."</p>
  <p>Jon paused at that, interlocking his fingers as he analyzed her words, along with its potential risks and benefits. Then he asked the obvious question. "As I understand it, Margaery Tyrell is King Tommen's Queen Consort. Are you saying you saying she would be willing to give up her queenship?"</p>
  <p>Olenna scowled. "Cersei made sure it would only be a matter of time before the city would fall to the extremist mob with her stupidity. I honestly doubt that weak-willed boy will live for much longer anyway. Sooner or later, blood will spill between the remaining military supporters of Kevan Lannister, Hand of the King, still in the city, and the sparrows once their High Septon gets ambitious enough. So, when the time comes, Margaery will be in need of a new husband, who will then have the backing of the Great House of the Reach and its allies."</p>
  <p>The young king couldn't help but chuckle at her boldness. "I thought we were speaking plainly, my Lady."</p>
  <p>Olenna seemed pleased with his response if her expression was any indication. "Well, it is a big proposition that I am implying after all. Seemed prudent to mince words."</p>
  <p>"So I see," Jon replied as he stood up. "If you will please excuse me, I will discuss your proposition with my people for a moment and then I will return with an answer. Please, make yourself comfortable"</p>
  <p>"I will," She said with a nod before turning back to her letter.</p>
  <p>When they returned to the main hall, the new god scratched his chin, pondering. Then he turned to look at his host and advisor. "What do you think?"</p>
  <p>"Well," Lord Wyman said slowly. "As you have been made aware, House Manderly had to escape the Reach after we were attacked by the forces of Lord Lorimar Peake upon the behest of King Perceon III Gardener, who feared the Manderlys' growing influence and power in their kingdom. However, House Tyrell didn't really have anything to do with our exile as far as I am aware, given that they weren't the rulers of Highgarden in the Pre-Conquest era. And the Redwynes weren't involved in that conspiracy either based on what we have investigated over the years." He explained. "So, I can't say my House has any feud with them that would make me want to refuse their offer just on principle. Not sure that I like the idea of you marrying Margaery Tyrell, however, even if it would add the Reach to your domains. Some of the major Northern families might feel spurned at the idea and more than a few of them are tired of getting involved in the affairs of the south...although I suppose that ship sailed when the Riverlords backed you as their king. In the end, though, it's your choice, your Grace."</p>
  <p>"Hmm," Jon mused. "What about you?" He asked Sarella.</p>
  <p>The Great House bastard tilted her head in his direction, her eyes an expression of calculation. "As you may know, my homeland and the Reach have been historical enemies for a couple of millennia until honestly quite recently in the grand scheme of things so, as a Dornish woman, I can't say I am excited at the prospect of such an alliance. But as your advisor, I would counsel you to gain her support all the same," She admitted. "Winter is nearly here after all, and the Reach produces more food than anywhere else in Westeros. The people of the North could most certainly benefit widely from their grain and other supplies in the months to come if nothing else."</p>
  <p>"I see," The young king replied as a flash of inspiration crossed his thoughts. "Thank you both for sharing your thoughts on the matter."</p>
  <p>And with that, he turned around, heading back to the room he left the Redwyne matriarch behind. She put her quill down when she saw him come in and waited for him to speak.</p>
  <p>He took a deep breath, already connecting the wishful threads of possibilities inside his head. "Here is the thing, Lady Olenna," Jon began. "While I certainly want to punish Cersei Lannister for her crimes against my family, I believe descending upon the Faith Militant with my Ice Dragon could just as easily backfire on us. They could see the legendary creature from the Lands of Always Winter as a winged demon of the Old Gods or something since it is known those rare dragons do not come from Old Valyria. And if that happens, their recruitment efforts might increase 10 fold even if I crush their leadership."</p>
  <p>"However," He added before she could complain, "that's not to say I can's help. Because, as it happens, I have a secret agent in King's Landing that is waiting for my orders," He lied with an even tone.</p>
  <p>Olenna narrowed her eyes. "Go on," She urged him.</p>
  <p>"Long story short," He said slowly as he prepared his response, "there is a Faceless Man that owes me a big favor, so, he told me I could use the unparalleled services of his order to either assassinate three people or save three people. To be honest, I don't particularly like assassination tactics so I had been procrastinating before activating his services. But I would be more comfortable with using his tremendous skill to extract your grandchildren from their cages and deliver them to safety at a location of your choosing."</p>
  <p>The eyes so-called Queen of Thorne widened quite a bit. "That would certainly be an acceptable offer. And since he is supposed to save 3, he can coordinate their escape with my son, Mace Tyrell. He is currently in the capital to support my grandson in his sham of a trial but things could get troublesome for him there if his children vanish from the High Sparrow's custody. And he could provide your agent with aid when needed."</p>
  <p>"Understood," The secret god responded as he mentally adjusted his plans. "Now, let's talk about what I will want in return. For the time being, I will settle for a non-aggression pact with the Reach should the force of the Iron Throne decide to attack my domains, not necessarily an alliance if the timing doesn't work for you. I would also like large shipments of grain to be delivered to White Harbor so that I can better feed my people during the approaching Winter. We can sort out the logistics later. What I can't promise you right now, however, is a marriage alliance," He said firmly. "I would need to discuss the matter with my bannermen and especially my sister Sansa, first. But even if that doesn't come to pass, there is no reason my kingdom and the Reach can't have cordial relationships in matters of trade, at the very least. That would be mutually beneficial after all."</p>
  <p>For the first time since they met, Olenna smiled. "Don't you worry, I have a feeling we are going to get along just fine. It's has been good meeting you, your Grace. You certainly show more sense and potential as far as first impressions go than the last 4 kings I have met when we first crossed paths. Keep it up and our Houses could certainly gain a prosperous partnership in the years to come."</p>
  <p>Jon chuckled as he nodded in respect. "It has been a pleasure, Lady Olenna. I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in White Harbor. Now, if you excuse me, I have a Faceless Man to contact," He lied smoothly. "Take care of yourself. I will make sure to keep you apprised of news about your family."</p>
  <p>And with that, he left the room, his companions close behind. "That was well-handled, my King," Lord Manderly praised. "I didn't know you have the support of a Faceless Man but you are right, he would handle a cleaner escape than an attack on dragonback, while it would make it harder to trace their release to you."</p>
  <p>"Indeed," Sarella agreed with a smile. "And I thank you for taking my advice to heart, your Grace. Now, if your plans go well, the North should be better supplied for winter."</p>
  <p>"Well, you made a good argument," Jon told her as he grinned. "So, really, I should be the one thanking you for a good idea. Now, could you please take me to the rookery of New Castle, Lord Wyman? I have a message to compose for my Faceless agent," He added.</p>
  <p>In reality, the new god just wanted to go there immediately so that he could have a plausible cover story for the wishes he will soon make to ensure the escape of the Tyrells from King's Landing. But the walk will allow him to keep polishing his ideas on the matter.</p>
  <p>"Of course, your Grace," His host responded. "Right this way.</p>
  <p>And with that, the three of them began to walk down the left corridor, smiling lightly as Sarella moved right to his side again.</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just to clarify, timeline-wise, I see this chapter as taking place near the end of episode 6x08 of the show, so Olenna would have already been preparing to leave King's Landing in the previous episode. And as a result, Cersei hadn't been able to blow up the Sept of Baelor yet, since that happened in 6x10.</p><p>Anyway, hope you liked the probably unexpected meeting. And yeah, technically, Margery is related to Jon on his Targaryen side due to the fact Rhaena Targaryen married Garmund Hightower a few generations before the start of the show. He just doesn't know that yet but well, that could be an important detail in a story with a premise like this one XD</p><p>Feel free to share your thoughts of this development down below. Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0049"><h2>49. Crossroad of Dreams</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone. This chapter could be seen as a bit of an introspective filler but it will have quite a bit of relevance later in terms of decision making. Hope you like it!</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="chapter-content">
  <p>Jon Stark turned around in his bed yet again, his form restless. He had managed to fall asleep for a few hours, during which time he continued with his dream walking through other worlds for information-gathering like he has been doing every night since he set out to look for the North Grove.</p>
  <p>This time around, he had returned to explore a reality that had a kingdom that was called Germany if the information he had gathered was about right. And by the gods, did he become impressed with that incredible printing press mechanism. The invention of a process that could easily enable his people to produce and transcribe no less than 3,600 pages per workday? That Johannes Gutenberg was certainly a brilliant man, although Jon couldn't say he liked his taste in beards. Regardless, that seemed to be a device he could plausibly invent with the technology and resources his own kingdom had available, in which case the Maesters of the Citadel would rush to earn his favor in exchange for access to his own printing press. Yet, for all the possibilities that development could bring, it was something else that was making him lose sleep.</p>
  <p>Things were not going the way Jon had planned when he first decided to place restraints upon his vast powers and play the game of thrones to help preserve the free will of people for the most part, as well as limit the chances of becoming too overly corrupt. At first, he had only planned to retake the North. He suspected the kingship might fall to him as a result if he made a spectacular job of his war against Ramsay while impressing his own bannermen, especially with Rickon so young but if that had happened, he saw the task as a duty to help prepare his homeland for the assault of the Army of the Dead.</p>
  <p>Then it was revealed to him that his brother Robb had named him his heir, thereby including the Riverlands to his domains. And so he made war on the Lannister-Frey forces on dragonback so that he could deal with both internal and external threats to his southernmost territory and the people that were counting on him.</p>
  <p>But things didn't end there. The Knights of the Vale were coming to their aid now and if he played things right, he suspected he could inspire the long time allies of his father to accept him as their king, especially after he had heard many of its Lords had wanted to support Robb during the War of the Five Kings. Without Sansa's paranoic aunt holding them back anymore, they might want to try to recover from what they saw as a loss of face and back him up. Besides, with everything that had happened recently, seeking out a potential alternative to the Iron Throne might make sense to certain Lords.</p>
  <p>Furthermore, there was the fact the young king suspected that he was eventually going to have to pit his armies against the Iron Islands, after that conversation he had with the intelligent Lord of Harlaw island. Euron Greyjoy, the new king of the Ironborn seemed to be more interested in conquest than mere raiding and the North is closest to his own territories. A clash between them seemed inevitable, in which case he had half a mind to officially conquer the Iron Islands so that he would be able to annex that territory and keep a close eye on them. That way, he could maintain the western coastline of his domains a lot more secure and that was without counting some major benefits for his realm, like access to their numerous iron mines, control of their remaining fleet when all was said and done, and the establishment of a much safer trade route through the Sunset Sea compared to recent years.</p>
  <p>And as if such a long-term enterprise wasn't enough, he had just planted the seeds of a potentially powerful alliance with the biggest power block of the most fertile land in Westeros. He might have to take Margaery as one of the brides if Sansa and he agreed to take her into their polygamous marriage once he could manage to come up with a wish that would make it socially acceptable but from what she had told him, his sister actually liked her so it might be doable.</p>
  <p>So, as he analyzed the situation, he realized that if he played his cards right, he could realistically hope to become the undisputed king of over half of the Seven kingdoms in a matter of a few short years. On paper, that would allow him to better unite the people of Westeros against the Army of the Dead like had planned, to say nothing of all the other good things he could accomplish with access to all that variety of resources and additional manpower.</p>
  <p>In practice, however, the idea made him hesitate. Deep down, he had only wanted to retain Winterfell when he set out from Castle Black, maybe become King in the North. The plausible reality that was facing him was far off the reservation from what he had initially contemplated.</p>
  <p>Sighing, Jon decided he needed to clear his head. So, he dressed again, placed furs around his shoulders, and walked outside. He told the guards that Lord Manderly had placed outside his door that he was just going out on a short walk to get some fresh air and dismissed them when they offered to accompany him. Before long, he made his way to a balcony on the top floor of New Castle, overlooking the city. It was a beautiful sight, even as the biggest settlement in the North slept, especially with the tides on the bay moving in concert with the moon.</p>
  <p>"Couldn't sleep either?" A familiar voice said behind him.</p>
  <p>He turned around and saw Sarella Sand covered in her own cloak, her dark eyes glinting before the burning light of a whale oil lamp. Jon shrugged. "Not for long," He said. "I was thinking a lot about recent events. And about big decisions that I might have to do in the future."</p>
  <p>"I can imagine," She replied. "Anything I can help you with?"</p>
  <p>"Maybe," The young king realized. "Tell me, what do you think your family members will do when they learn of my new kingdom? I know the princes of Dorne had understandable reasons to be angered at House Stark ever since Rhaegar Targaryen, well, left his Martell wife for my aunt Lyanna," He said awkwardly. "And I would like to help mend the relationships between our two families if possible."</p>
  <p>The Great House bastard was quiet for a long moment before answering. "You hadn't heard, have you?" She asked with a voice barely above a whisper.</p>
  <p>Jon didn't like the implications of her tone. "Hadn't heard what?"</p>
  <p>Sarella sighed. "Months after my father, Prince Oberyn died while fighting against his sister's killer as the champion of Tyrion Lannister during his trial by combat, his last paramour, Ellaria Sand, chose to spit on his memory by going against his deeply held beliefs and killed a Lannister child that was being warded in Dorne. And as if that wasn't enough, she and three of my half-sisters killed my uncle Doran Martell and his son Trystane because she thought them too weak to get their short-sighted revenge on the Lannisters."</p>
  <p>Jon gasped. "Wait so, the ancient and noble House Martell, proud descendants of Princess Nymeria and the only ones that managed to successfully kill a dragon during the conquest while fending off the armies of the Conqueror, has gone extinct?!"</p>
  <p>"Not necessarily," Sarella said slowly. "Doran's eldest child and heir, Arianne Martell was apparently sent on a secret voyage on orders of her Prince father about a month before their treachery but no one has seen her since, so Dorne has been plunged into chaos. Last I heard, about half the Houses ended up backing my fellow but treacherous Sand Snakes and their quest for revenge after she convinced them that she will gain the support of Daenerys Targaryen and her three dragons. The other half, however, has remained openly neutral so far. I suspect they are waiting to see if Arianne will show up though, or perhaps are even actively looking for her."</p>
  <p>Jon frowned in distaste. Between getting betrayed and stabbed in the heart and the ramifications of the Red Wedding he has had to deal with, he had little patience for traitors, especially when they knowingly murdered their own flesh and blood. Then he focused on his new advisor and nodded his head in a respectful gesture.</p>
  <p>"You have my condolences for the damage that has been done to your family," He told her in an empathetic tone. "There was a time not so long ago when I thought my sister Sansa was all the family I had left after my other siblings were presumed dead, so I know how that feels. And who knows, perhaps Arianne Martell will show up and restore her place as Princess. But regardless, I am sorry about the death of your father," Jon said as he looked at her beautiful light-brown face. "I imagined he wouldn't had liked me much if we have met but having lost my own father, I can sympathize."</p>
  <p>She sighed at that but smiled at him before long. "Thank you, my king. But to answer your question, if Arianne Martell is still alive and you back up her efforts to reclaim her homeland, I would imagine that she would react very, very favorably to your kingship. So, I would say it might be something to keep in mind, should you learn of her location from your bannermen. And that is my official counsel on the matter as your advisor."</p>
  <p>Jon was silent for a long moment, interlocking his fingers as he pondered her words and their effect on him. Then he smiled back.</p>
  <p>"Thank you, Sarella Sand," He said earnestly. "I believe you have helped me more than you know. And that I will be able to find sleep now, thanks to you."</p>
  <p>She grinned. "I am pleased to hear that."</p>
  <p>They remained quiet for a while after that, staring into each other's eyes, as if drinking each other's presence under the moonlight. But then Jon shook his head and wished her good night, at which point he turned around and went back from whence he came.</p>
  <p><em>"She is certainly an intriguing addition to my new court,"</em> Jon told himself mentally.<em> "I wonder what Sansa will make of her."</em></p>
  <p>Then he clenched his fists tightly as determination shone across his visage. He couldn't become the decisive king his subjects will need him to be to prepare for the next Long Night and to lead them against the Army of the Dead if he second-guessed himself too much. True, he hadn't originally planned to expand his domains so much but the political circumstances were getting more promising with the cards he has been dealt. So, in the end, he vowed to himself and to every god that would listen that he would make it worth it. He would improve the lives of subjects a lot and he would lead them to victory against the Night King. And hopefully, that process would reforge the bonds of the people of his realm with the strength of Valyrian Steel."</p>
  <p><em>"It seems I have a lot of work to do,"</em> Jon thought as he crossed the door to his bed chambers. <em>"Let's make it count."</em></p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well there you go. To clarify, that bit I added with Arianne Martell being MIA shortly after Doran was killed in this reality, like in the show's timeline, will be explained later. Suffice to say for now that in this parallel universe she is still around, just not in Dorne when shit went down in the similar events that occurred like the ones from the Season 6 premiere. </p><p>Anyway, I hope you liked this and if you did, please review. Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0050"><h2>50. Interlude: Part 3: A Change in Priorities</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alright, this is the next interlude chapter in between story arcs. This time, we will be getting an update on what has been going on with Benjen Stark, Bran, and Meera. The setup and changes in the timeline over here, triggered by the domino effect that stems from Jon's ascension will become quite relevant later on. But for now, I hope you like it!</p><p>Also, know that once a character that will show up here starts talking in a language other than English (sorry, the Common Tongue), I will have that portion of the chapter transcripted with what I meant for as direct translations, so, you don't have to use google translate if you recognize the language I used in the chapter but are not fluent in it. Just take it in stride and eventually you reach the translations.</p><p>Read, enjoy and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Benjen Stark grunted as he smashed the fiery chain on another wight for what felt like the hundredth time. At this point, it probably was.</p><p>Everything has been going so well. They had traveled most of the distance from the Cave of the Three-eyed Raven to the Wall. And for nearly 2 weeks of travel through the harsh, unforgiving terrain, they hadn't encountered any forces from the Army of the Dead. They should have been just a few hours from Castle Black by then.</p><p>But then, out of nowhere, Bran had screamed in pain as the mark the Night King placed upon him burned hot. His Greenseer nephew turned to look at him, his impassive face surprised all of the sudden.</p><p>"They are coming," He had told them. "They are close. But...that wasn't what I foresaw..." He added in a distressed tone. "Our chosen path should have been clear of wights. My visions showed me the Night King would not catch up with me until much later, and south of the Wall. What...?"</p><p>He had stopped talking by then, as the loud shriek of the undead echoed across the Haunted Forest. The half-wight, First Ranger of the Night's Watch remembered cursing at that moment and urged his large horse to press on, faster.</p><p>It wasn't long before wave after wave of the walking dead tried to swarm them, their shrills and unholy screams scaring his animal into action even further. But it was no use. His loyal companion was a fine steed, it was even gifted by the magic of the Children of the Forrest to improve his wild speed and to more easily bond with the human ranger, despite never having been ridden by anyone else before. But he had been carrying the three of them almost non-stop for days, once they had been convinced they had left the Army of the Dead behind them and Castle Black grew ever closer. Before long, they started catching up, mindless savagery in their movements as they rushed in from all corners of the woods.</p><p>"Meera!" He had called out. "Grab Bran tightly and make sure he doesn't fall off! I will try to shake them off our trail."</p><p>"Right!" She had shouted over the noise of the wights, her weight shifting above the horse, presumably to better be able to grab his charge.</p><p>Once that was done, Benjen urged his steed to go even faster with his legs and started swirling his chain. The magic the children had used to make sure its tip would erupt into flames when the dead were near string as he had expected. And so he had started to smash the wights that got too close to them with his tip.</p><p>He wasn't sure how long he spent on that, but it must have been close to an hour. It didn't make much difference as the swarms kept coming, no matter how much he thinned their numbers at the vanguard. Making a quick calculation, he realized that by then, they had to be just a few minutes away from the exit to the Haunted Forrest. If the magic that kept the speed and endurance of his steed held for just a little longer, they might have been able to get some help, assuming there were archers patrolling the Wall above Castle Black. And once the gates were opened, the enchantments that blocked the Wall from the Army of the Dead would prevent them from following. Of course, that also applied to him now, despite what the Children did to save him. But if he could at least get Bran to safety then it would be worth it...</p><p>"Benjen!" Meera screamed in alarm. "The Night King is behind us!"</p><p>The former First Ranger felt a deep chill of dread climbing through his spine. He swatted the closest wights yet again with his flaming chain before turning back to look.</p><p>And there he stood before his own lieutenants. The ancient enemy of humanity walking over the flaming corpses of the servants that Benjen had defeated, one of his frost spears in hand, enchanted by unholy magics.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Soon...he pointed his weapon at them.</p><p>The half-wight let out a foul curse and spurred his horse on, trying to increase its speed as much as he could. But he realized that it was too late and he was proven right when the spear started flying towards them with extraordinary speed.</p><p>"JUMP!" He roared above the sounds of battle as he did exactly that.</p><p>Meera listened to him and reacted on the spot, heading down with Bran in her arms, just as their fine mount was speared clean through by the icy weapon. Benjen grimaced as the creature laid there in agony, its death rattled echoing through the land. But he realized they couldn't stop...they were so close now.</p><p>"Take Bran and run!" He yelled to the loyal bannerwoman of House Stark as he grabbed his chain. "Castle Black is near, I will slow them down as long as I can."</p><p>Meera rushed to obey but before she could start sprinting their path was blocked by a wave of wights...they were completely surrounded now.</p><p>"By all the hells," Benjen cursed, feeling like a cornered animal.</p><p>But then, the unexpected occurred. All of the rights froze in their tracks, the savage swarm halting its advance. The wind blew the dead became like statues, chilling their bodies further and not just from the cold.</p><p>"Errr, what are they doing?" The heir of House Reed asked in confusion, her tone rattled. "Why aren't they attacking us anymore."</p><p>Bran raised his head then and Benjen noticed he was staring at the Night King approaching. "Because they have done their part," He said in a sage tone, sounding convinced.</p><p>Benjen took a deep breath, grabbed his dagger from within his clothes, and despite suspecting it wouldn't be enough but knowing he wouldn't be able to get too close anyway, threw the obsidian weapon at the King of the White Walkers with as much accuracy as he could manage.</p><p>The Night King merely moved his palms in front of his face and pressed as if to clap, just as the dagger was near. The motion stopped the projectile in its tracks. When he let the weapon fall into the ground, his face was the essence of indifference.</p><p>Benjen swallowed. "I am so sorry Bran...I have failed you."</p><p>Bran took a long moment to respond, just as the Night King moved forward with a slow but inexorable pace, resembling a predator that knew he had his prey beaten. The former First Ranger looked down and saw that's Bran's eyes had turned pale white, like they do when he is either warging, connecting to the Weirwood web or...experiencing visions. A few seconds later, his gaze turned back to normal.</p><p>"Not yet you hadn't," His nephew responded with confidence. "Be strong Benjen. And tell Jon that...things have changed but his time will still come."</p><p>Before the half-wight could ask what he meant by that, the Night King made a gesture with his blue hand and Benjen suddenly fell to his knees against his will.</p><p>"No!" He shouted, shocked. "The Children were supposed to have prevented your magic from controlling me! How are you..."</p><p>At that moment, he broke off when he noticed the Night King was actually smiling slightly. It was the very first glimpse of actual emotion he had seen on a White Walker, as his form was outlined in the darkness of the night by the flames behind him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Then, just as suddenly, he regained control of his body, and reacted by getting back on his feet, his chain gripped tight. But before long, the leader of the Army of the Dead opened his mouth and a sound that resembled ice shattering came out. And somehow...Benjen understood the words.</p><p>"<span class="u"><strong>आप वहां खड़े हैं क्योंकि मैं इसकी अनुमति देता हूं। क्योंकि मुझे डर नहीं है।</strong></span>," He boomed, his voice crackling.</p><p>Benjen didn't need to be forcibly frozen after that, his body's reaction to listening to their ancient enemy speak in a strange language and actually been able to understand him took care of that for him. The former First Ranger swallowed once more but couldn't help but respond to him, his mind crying out for answers.</p><p>"What do you want from us?" He demanded.</p><p>The Night King tilted his head as he stared at them with his eyes as cold and blue as the heart of winter. "<strong>उनसे? अवसर और उत्तोलन।</strong>," He responded. "<strong>तुझे से ही? मेरे लिए एक संदेश देने के लिए लेकिन केवल जब मैं ऐसा करूंगा।.</strong>"</p><p>"You can understand him?" Meera asked after found her voice again.</p><p>"Somehow, yes," Benjen replied with unease in his tone. "Probably because I have become half-wight."</p><p>"<strong><span class="u">वास्तव में। बच्चों की शक्ति आपको मेरी सेना में पूर्ण रूप से शामिल होने से रोकेगी।</span></strong>," The ice demon confirmed. "<span class="u"><b>लेकिन चिन्ता</b> <strong>भीत-निर्माता वंशज</strong></span>" He added with a tone of voice that shifted its sound from ice-shattering to mere the windswept might of a harsh snowstorm, in what he assumed was his equivalent to calming down. "<strong>मैं अब उन्हें मारने नहीं जा रहा हूं। मेरे पास उनके लिए एक नया प्रयोग है।.</strong>"</p><p>"He...claims you two are more valuable to him alive than dead," Benjen told his companions. "At least for now. And he wants me to deliver a message."</p><p>They remained silent for a moment for a long after that. But then, Bran raised his chin. "What is the message?" The Greenseer asked.</p><p>The Night King turned to him for a moment but said nothing, which made the former First Ranger frown.</p><p>"<em>Perhaps he could only understand my words in the Common Tongue because I am half-wight?</em>" He thought.</p><p>"What is the message," Benjen ended up repeating.</p><p>The supreme leader of the Army of the Dead looked back at him. "<b><span class="u">आप अपने दूसरे भतीजे को बताएंगे कि थ्री-आइडेड रेवेन मेरे साथ है और अगर वह उसे फिर से जिंदा देखना चाहता है, तो वह हमें ढूंढेगा जबकि वह अपने नए ड्रैगन की सवारी करेगा</span></b>," He threatened, his words cacthing the last living brother of Ned Stark off-guard.</p><p>"Wait, Jon has a dragon now?!" He couldn't help but blurt out, shocked.</p><p>Before his companions could comment on that, other White Walkers moved in from the trees, the air growing colder in their presence. Meera tried to shield Bran with her body on instinct but the lieutenant didn't harm her, just overpowered her and one of them gripped her tight before flinging her over their shoulders despite her shrieks.</p><p>The Night King did the same with the paralyzed Bran, although the Greenseer seemed a lot calmer about it. Benjen didn't have any obsidian left and was unable to stop them. He still tried, however, rushing with his chain to attack him.</p><p>It was in vain because he just did another gesture and his body collapsed on the snowy ground.</p><p>"We will be fine, Benjen," Bran assured him as he groaned. "He is telling the truth. He needs us alive for now."</p><p>That didn't exactly make him feel much better. "Why?" He shouted, the rest of his limbs paralyzed.</p><p>The Night turned to regard him with a long, deep stare. "<strong><span class="u">भविष्य बदल गया है। और हमें इसके साथ बदलना होगा।</span></strong>," He proclaimed.</p><p>And after that ambiguous statement, he turned back around, his charge helpless around that monster's shoulders.</p><p>"<strong>एक महीने में आपके हाथ और पैर मुक्त हो जाएंगे। मुझे तब तक किया जाना चाहिए जब मैं तीन आंखों वाले रैवेन से जो कुछ भी चाहता हूं उसे निकालने के लिए।</strong>," He informed him without bothering to look at him. "<strong>फिर उसे संदेश दें।</strong>."</p><p>Just like that, he kept going, his army following while Benjen's limbs remained completely still.</p><p>"<em>This...will be a long month,</em>" He thought in discomfort. "<em>Good thing I don't need to eat anymore.</em>"</p><p>His eyes were still active however and that fact sunk in when a tear flowed down his cheek.</p><p>"Bran...Ned...Lyanna...I am so sorry," He whispered in despair. "I have failed."</p><p>And with that, he allowed his face to slam into the pile of snow.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Kingdom of the North: The Neck: The Hidden Godswood</strong> </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Further south, at the swamps of the Neck, Howland Reed was kneeling before a Weirwood tree. He had told his people to move their floating keep to the location of the Hidden Godswood, a sacred place known only to the Crannogmen. There, six Weirwood trees that had grown to thrive in the swamps and feed on their water stood in a semi-circle, their carved, red faces staring back at the Lord of the marches. </p><p>He had come to pray to the Old Gods for his boy's soul, having recently learned from his letter that Jojen had foreseen his own death on his journey and left his last instructions and wishes for him to read. Now, he took a moment in silence to grief, away from the daily activity of Greywater Watch. </p><p>Soon, however, a raven landed on the clearing, between him and one of the Weirwood faces, and started staring at him with a penetrating gaze. Before he could decide to scare him away, though, the bird open its beak and <em>spoke</em>.</p><p>"I don't have much time," It squeaked, its voice sounding more than a little eerie as he stood up in shock. "So, listen carefully. Be mindful of your surroundings and of the messages of Jojen's letter. The time may come when the revelations are up to you and you alone. And if that's the case, you need to pay attention to the outside world to know when to act."</p><p>Howland was speechless at what he was hearing. No wargs among the Cranogmen he had ever meet had been able to make ravens or other birds capable of limited speech actually speak. That could only mean...</p><p>"Bran...is that you?" Howland asked in a small voice.</p><p>The raven was silent for a long moment as if the greenseer behind him was focusing on something else at the same time. But then it focused on the Lord once more.</p><p>"I am...sorry for your loss," The possessed bird added although he couldn't determine the exact emotion behind that tone of voice. "I will do my best to ensure Meera comes back to you alive. May your blades stay sharp, Lord Reed. You'll need them. And do not forget your son's words."</p><p>With that, the raven flew away, the connection seemingly broken. Howland took several deep breaths as he tried to calm his racing heart. </p><p>"Believe me, I don't think I am likely to forget that," He muttered to the empty clearing. </p><p>When no one responded, be it man or beast, the leader of the Crannogmen turned around and headed back to Greywater Watch.</p><p>"<em>It is time to start preparing for the second war-like dance, it seems,</em>" He thought, his fist clenching. "<em>Thank you for the warning, my son.</em>"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For those that are wondering, I used the Hindi script for the White Walker language the Night King used. Not that I am trying to imply I find the Hindi language demonic or anything. I just found the written form of it quite mysterious and badass at times, especially when putting the words on bold and underlined. So, if I offended anyone with that, my most sincere apologies since that wasn't my intention. </p><p>Anyway, Bran has been captured alive. Seems like the Night King has had a change of heart with his immediate priorities. For those that want to know what I actually meant to have him say in English, here is a translated transcript: </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>"You stand there because I allow it. Because I do not fear," He boomed, his voice crackling.</p><p>Benjen didn't need to be forcibly frozen after that, his body's reaction to listening to his ancient enemy speak in a strange language and actually been able to understand him took care of that for him. The former First Ranger swallowed once more but couldn't help but respond to him, his mind crying out for answers.</p><p>"What do you want from us?" He demanded.</p><p>The Night King tilted his head as he stared at them with his eyes as cold and blue as the heart of winter. "From them? Opportunities and leverage. "From you? To deliver a message but only when I will it."</p><p>"You can understand him?" Meera asked after found her voice again.</p><p>"Somehow, yes," Benjen replied with unease in his tone. "Probably because I have become half-wight."</p><p>"Indeed. The power of the Children of the Forrest will prevent you from fully joining my army," The ice demon confirmed. "But do not worry, descendant of the Wall-Builder," He added with a tone of voice that shifted its sound from ice-shattering to merely the windswept might of a harsh snowstorm, in what he assumed was his equivalent to calming down. "I'm not going to kill them now. I have a new use for them."</p><p>"He ... claims you two are more valuable to him alive than dead," Benjen told his companions. "At least for now. And he wants me to deliver a message."</p><p>They remained silent for a moment for a long after that. But then, Bran raised his chin. "What is the message?" The Greenseer asked.</p><p>The Night King turned to him for a moment but said nothing, which made the former First Ranger frown.</p><p>"Perhaps he could only understand my words in the Common Tongue because I am half-wight?" He thought.</p><p>"What is the message," Benjen ended up repeating.</p><p>The supreme leader of the Army of the Dead looked back at him. "You'll tell your other nephew that the Three-Eyed Raven is with me and if he wants to see him alive again, he'll find us while riding his new dragon," He threatened, his words catching the last living brother of Ned Stark off-guard.</p><p>"Wait, Jon has a dragon now ?!" He couldn't help but blurt out, shocked.</p><p>Before his companions could comment on that, other White Walkers moved in from the trees, the air growing colder in their presence. Meera tried to shield Bran with her body on instinct but the lieutenant didn't harm her, just overpowered her with their inhuman strength and one of them gripped her tight before flinging her over his shoulders, despite her shrieks.</p><p>The Night King did the same with the crippled Bran, although the Greenseer seemed a lot calmer about it. Benjen did not have any obsidian left and was unable to stop them. He still tried, however, rushing with his chain to attack.</p><p>It was in vain, however, because he just did another gesture and his body collapsed on the snowy ground.</p><p>"We will be fine, Benjen," Bran assured him as he groaned. "He is telling the truth. He needs us alive for now."</p><p>That did not exactly make him feel much better. "Why?!" He shouted, the rest of his limbs paralyzed.</p><p>The Night turned to regard him with a long, deep stare. "The future has changed. And we must change with it," He proclaimed.</p><p>And after that ambiguous statement, he turned back around, his charge helpless around that monster's shoulders.</p><p>"Your arms and legs will be free in a month. I should be done by then to extract what I need from the Three-eyed Raven." He informed him without bothering to look at him. "Deliver the message then." </p><p>Just like that, he kept going, his army following while Benjen's limbs remained completely still.</p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Well, that's it for now. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them down below and I will reply as soon as I can. Until the next chapter and thanks again for reading.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0051"><h2>51. Story Arc Five: Ambassador of Fate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks to all the readers that have expressed their interest in my tale through the comments. Your questions and words of encouragement have been fueling the fires of my creativity. So, without more preamble, enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>King Jon Stark had managed to sleep well for the remaining hours of the night but, despite the energizing slumber, it didn't take him long to become displeased.</p><p>"Seems like I should hurry to Braavos," Jon said to the empty room, concern in his tone. "My sister is going to need me."</p><p>While it is true the secret god had decided to heavily restrain the use of his powers for various reasons, he had made an exception so far when it came to foreseeing the future. About a fortnight past, he made a wish so that he would get a mental warning three days in advance if any of his siblings would be injured to the point of death had he not been around them at the time to help.</p><p>That was how he had remained certain that Rickon, Bran, and Arya were safe while he had been focusing on reclaiming the North. And barely a few minutes after he freshened up in the morning, the wish was activated inside his mind and he became aware with perfect clarity that his little sister's life would end in three days if she was left to her own devices.</p><p>Now that he knew about that, however, he could work to rescue her and change that potential future, since his wish specified the warning to get loud if that were to happen without his interference in any way. Becoming aware of the facts, however, and moving fast enough would make all the difference in this outcome.</p><p>So, with that in mind, he accelerated his pace as he entered the Merman Court, eager to speak with Wyman Manderly and tell him the cover story he had come up with. He found him at his artistically carved throne, reading a letter with rapt attention. Soon enough, though, he noticed his liege.</p><p>"Oh, my king," The ruler of White Harbor said. "Forgive me. I was distracted by this letter."</p><p>"Not to worry," Jon said politely. "Any interesting news?"</p><p>"Well, my scouts report that the Knights of the Vale have already crossed the Neck and are heading towards Ironrath as fast they can," Lord Wyman said. "Apparently, they decided to just send an army of 3000 riders so that they could travel at a quicker pace and regroup with your army in time. Those were apparently the knights with the fastest and sturdiest horses in their kingdom, if the reports are to be believed. Tactically sound, I believe. It's better when the reinforcements arrive to help before the battle is done, after all."</p><p>"As for the rest of the army that left the Vale," He went on. "Another host of 2000 knights that had slower horses, on the other hand, ended up staying in the Riverlands after a meeting with the Blackfish. Which, by the way, was definitely an excellent choice for Warden of the Trident territories," He conceded. "Regardless, while you have broken most of the Lannister presence on their kingdom, some stragglers have left their hiding holes since your dragon was seen returning North, and started banding back together to begin raiding several farming villages on the way to the Westerlands in one direction and another group to the Crownlands. So, the Blackfish convinced them to go hunt down and rout the Lannister soldiers that looting everything they could on the way to King's Landing. Apparently, it took some convincing but Littlefinger eventually allowed it once he was told they were looting their way to his new seat of Harrenhall, according to their own scouts."</p><p>"I see," The young king said slowly, glad that the Blackfish managed to get the aid he needed without him there to help astride his dragon. "What about Winterfell? Any reports on what Ramsay has been doing?"</p><p>"As a matter of fact, I was just reading about that right now," The Lord replied. "I sent a couple of spies to the town near your ancestral home once the Boltons started befouling its halls. One of them decided that delivering this message via raven by secretly breaking into the rookery was worth risking his cover. Good lad, I certainly hope he had managed to escape to safety."</p><p>"You and me both," Jon responded with a raised eyebrow as he imagined the courage it would take for him to do that under Ramsay's sadistic watch. "What exactly was worth the risk, then?"</p><p>"My informant tells me that the brutal kinslayer managed to hire the sellswords that deserted Stannis Baratheon for some reason shortly before the battle where Ramsay defeated him," He explained. "Well, those that remained in the North at least for one reason or another but mainly the snows making it difficult to travel on foot. Apparently, he is waiting for the large group of mercenaries to arrive from the lands of the treacherous Karstarks in order to reinforce his army, now that your own forces have destroyed his Whitehill bannermen. He is not entirely sure about the final numbers, but the spy believes that will boost the Bolton numbers to at least 6000 swords. Whether he plans to use his larger force to better defend Winterfell or seek you out is the part my informant doesn't really know," The highborn added.</p><p>"Oh, he will try to attack us," Jon said with confidence. "He must be aware by now that the Knights of the Vale are moving against him. If he waits too long he will lose the strength in numbers, even with those sellswords. Besides, he is not going to waste the chance to capture Sansa while his own reports might indicate that my dragon and I are away. Did your spy mentioned when does Ramsay expect his hired blades to arrive?"</p><p>"In two days at most, it seems," Lord Wyman replied.</p><p>Jon took a deep breath and nodded, feeling determined. "Then, he will march on Ironrath in no more than 3 days. And this time, I refuse to even give them the chance to make a week-long siege. How many riders at arms do you have under your command, Lord Manderly?"</p><p>"That can march within the day if I give the order?" The ruler of White Harbor asked, probably sensing where he was going. "Around 600. I could probably make it 850 between all the petty lords and landed knights under my command if you give me two days instead, your Grace."</p><p>"Make it a day and a half," The young king commanded. "But no more. As as soon as noon rises tomorrow, I want the knights you have gathered to march towards Ironrath as if the demons are chasing them. They can regroup with the host from the Vale if you come across them on the way but otherwise, let's focus on merging our forces together. The battle will be decided in the Northern Wolfswood."</p><p>"It shall be done, my king!" Lord Manderly assured him with a bow. "Anything else?"</p><p>"Yes," Jon said in agreement. "It will take longer, I know, but once you have your foot soldiers properly organized, have them march on Winterfell. We still don't know how long it will take to defeat House Bolton but if news reaches them that we have reconquered my family ancestral seat from the soldiers they left behind, some of his men might lose heart and surrender."</p><p>The secret god knew that he could have a harder time justifying his teleportation powers this time around because as far as he knew, the only Weirwood Tree in White Harbor was inside the walls of their old prison so it would be impossible to maintain that cover story he put in place for such a large force. So, the rest of the Manderly army was going to have to travel to Winterfell the old-fashioned way. </p><p>Regardless his host didn't seem disappointed when he explained his transportation powers needed to regrow with his energy before he could try it again, as Lord Manderly pounded his chest with vigor. "You do me a great honor, your Grace, by trusting me to liberate your home from that Bolton filth. I will lead the host myself. And don't you worry about not being able to magically send us there.  I swear to you, my king, that when you return from your victorious campaign, I shall be there to greet you at the open gates of Winterfell."</p><p>The young king nodded at him with respect in his gaze. "I am sure you'll succeed and that it shall be a day-long remembered."</p><p>At that, the ruler of White Harbor went on his way out of the hall, probably to speak with his Maester so that he could send ravens all over his territory. Before he could open the door, however, he paused and turned back. Hesitating, he focused on Jon again.</p><p>"There is still a very important matter that requires your attention, your Grace," Lord Wyman said slowly. "The other pair of important guests that arrived yesterday."</p><p>The young king frowned. "Can it wait? While contacting my Faceless ally in King's Landing, I gained an urgent reply from him," He said like he had planned, after having made some slight alterations to the memories of the Maester in the rookery of White Harbor. "Apparently, he was informed by a member of his order that they had taken in my sister Arya for training after she fled to Braavos during the chaos of the War of the Five Kings. So, he told me that if I wanted to convince her to return home, I better do that before she finishes her initiation. As a result, I was seriously considering making a quick trip across the Narrow Sea on the powerful wings of my Ice Dragon before returning from Braavos with my Stark sibling in tow. I shouldn't even stay more than a couple of hours in the Free City if all goes well."</p><p>The white-haired man's eyes widened widely in surprise at his remarks. "That's excellent news! We thought Arya was dead. Her return to the North will certainly look like a good sign, especially after we defeat the usurpers of House Bolton."</p><p>Then he hesitated again. "I won't pretend to command you, sire, but I still think you will want to meet with these visitors sooner rather than later."</p><p>Jon raised an eyebrow. "Why exactly?"</p><p>"Because the highborn that spoke for the group displayed his mastery of magic openly," He revealed. "They are Stoneborn from the usually isolationist island of Skagos, your Grace, and they claim to have come to pledge their banners to your cause...and according to them, so much more."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And there is your answer about the second set of visitors XD that's right everyone, we are getting answers about what the heck I have been plotting with my AU Skagosi world building soon. Well, part of them anyway. But even more, will be revealed after Jon and Arya return from Braavos. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this relevant setup chapter. And I hope you are feeling hyped for the future of the tale :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0052"><h2>52. Wizards at Merman's Court</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, here is the next chapter. Time for Jon to start catching up with these mysterious Skagosi I first showed in the Interlude chapters. And this is just the beginning on that front XD</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>Jon Stark was waiting for the guests that came all the way from Skagos in the same adjacent chamber where he had talked with Olenna Tyrell. Apparently, while Lord Manderly thought it important for him to meet with their envoy, he also thought it prudent to have few witnesses for their meeting. After all, the Skagosi islanders are hardly popular in the North, given their historical past as cannibals and raider until they reverted to isolation, with limited trade with the rest of Westeros ever since their failed uprising against House Stark during the reign of Daeron II Targaryen.</p><p>So, sitting beside him to his left was Archmaester Marwyn, followed by his apprentice Sam. To Jon's right was his host and then his new advisor, Sarella Sand. While they waited for some of Lord Wyman's most discreet men to escort them to the room, the new king decided to give voice to some of his confused thoughts.</p><p>"How did they even learned that I have become King in the North?" He wondered aloud. "It's unlikely the news would have traveled that far into the Shivering Sea by now."</p><p>Sam shrugged on his chair. "You told us you already informed your sister about that. Maybe she sent ravens from Ironrath to some other places and even to the Night's Watch. They do trade occasionally with the garrison at East-Watch-by-the-Sea, after all."</p><p>"Hmm," Jon mused. "I suppose that's possible."</p><p>"Regardless," Wyman Manderly said, "Their interest to send an envoy is a good sign. Robb didn't really bother to call their banners when leading his army south before he became king, since he was in a hurry and didn't believe the Skagosi could rally their forces at sea fast enough. That means their troops were left intact by the War of the Five Kings and as far as I know, they have emerged largely unscathed from House Bolton's reign of terror over the North due to their isolation. I would be naturally wary of them still, as is usually the case with societies that are suspected to have practiced cannibalism until recently," The Highborn man warned. "All the same, this could be a historic opportunity if all goes well."</p><p>As if on cue, the doors opened at that precise moment and three people entered the room. The new god's immediate reaction, however, was to blink rapidly, when he realized that that only one of them looked particularly similar to a Skagosi due to his hairy complexion, and even then, the color was red across the hair of his arms head, and beard; which was most unusual from what he had heard. The other 2 were women and they didn't even look Northern, considering that one of them had the silvery-gold hair that is normally associated with high amounts of Valyrian blood and the other one had light brown skin, with long curly hair.</p><p>Before they could begin their introductions, however, Jon heard a loud gasp to his right. He turned to look at Sarella and she seemed quite surprised.</p><p>"What is it?" He asked his advisor.</p><p>"Sorry, you're Grace," She apologized. "It's just that I...recognized one of them from my past."</p><p>Jon followed her direct stare to the woman that was smiling at his Dornish counselor and gave her a closer look.</p><p>
  
</p><p>"Good to see you again, Sarella," She replied. "It has been a while."</p><p>His advisor actually blushed a bit when her smile widened, which made Jon raised an eyebrow. "Well then, why don't you introduce us?" He asked her.</p><p>The Great House bastard was clearly taken off-guard by this visitor but she composed herself with a deep breath soon enough. "I can't say I know her traveling companions," She began, "but this woman is Nadria Sand. We meet about two years ago at Sunspear when she was in need of a ship to cross the Narrow Sea to Volantis. Since my captain of a mother was heading there anyway, we took her aboard the <em>Feathered Kiss</em> and set sail. While traveling near the Stepstones, however, we were attacked by three pirate ships, and...that was when Nadria revealed herself to be one of the few Dornish women left with enough blood of the Ancient Rhoynar to develop a talent for water magic," Sarella declared, much to his own surprise; and that of Archmaester Marwyn, if bolting upright in his seat was any indication. "She used her spells to sink one of the ships by forcing water to burst inside one of them, and then used her remaining energies to accelerate our course much faster than the speed of sail by the moving the surface directly below us. We may have managed anyway as my mother's swan ship is fast enough as it is but her aid made that a certainty, so we celebrated with a party in her honor around the deck that night," She explained, her look distant.</p><p>"That certainly was a fun night," Nadria admitted, a slight grin on her face.</p><p>Then she bowed. "It is a true honor to meet you, your Grace."</p><p>Jon scratched his chin a bit at that. "Pleased to meet you too. And I must say, your powers sound impressive. We must talk about them in length at some point, given that I have also...been discovering magical abilities myself recently," He added.</p><p>"Anytime, my king," She responded, her tone earnest.</p><p>"Well, now that my dear friend has stolen my thunder," Said the red-haired man with a mock glare, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name Maenag of House Stane and I have been chosen to represent the interests of our three noble houses: House Crowl, House Magnar, and my own."</p><p>"May I ask why?" Lord Manderly asked gruffly.</p><p>"Aside from the fact that there are members of the other two houses that like me?" He asked with a shrug. "Mostly because we were in a hurry to come here and Nadria here is not the only one that can magically sink ships," The Skagosi said as he removed one glove and, suddenly, summoned a ball of fire to his palm. "As you can imagine, the pirate vessels of the Shivering Sea don't last long after I set their sails aflame."</p><p>Besides him, Archmaester Marwyn had started grinning in delight. Jon himself ended up chuckling. "I imagine that ability would be very useful during the cold of winter. And who is your other friend?"</p><p>"That would be Alyhra Snowaters, the captain of the ship that took us here," He explained. "Or at least, that's how she normally calls herself in public when she wants to pretend."</p><p>The young king paused at that. "And when she doesn't want to pretend?"</p><p>At that, the young but physically fit woman took a step forward and bowed, moving a lock of her silver-gold hair as she did so. "On those occasions, I prefer to call myself by the name of my father's family," She stated. "Which would make me Alyhra Velaryon, your Grace."</p><p>The King in the North and the ruler of White Harbor glanced at each other, surprised. The captain smiled. "It's a bit of a long story but suffice to say that a member of House Velaryon married my mother, who was from House Crowl, in a secret ceremony. So, my self-made bastard surname is more of a ruse to keep the secret until the time is right."</p><p>"And why would such a secret be necessary?" Jon asked her.</p><p>"To put it shortly, so that we could consolidate the alliance the Skagosi made with House Velaryon a little over 2 decades ago to slowly build up a new fleet in secret," The captain explained. "I was the one that usually made the journey to hide the new vessels into the hidden volcanic lake within Skagos."</p><p>The legitimized Stark frowned at that. If he recalled his family history correctly then, long before the conquest, his ancestor known as Brandon IX Stark, King in the North, broke the power of the Skagosi, destroying their ships and forbidding them the sea when it came to military vessels. Eventually, the subsequent Lords of Winterfell simply limited their numbers instead of keeping it completely banned but this made it sound like they had been violating the terms they made with House Stark and for a long time now. Still, he suspected they wouldn't be so honest about that if they didn't have something big to offer him.</p><p>"It seems like there is much to discuss," The young king said evenly. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves. First, what message do the leaders of Skagos have for me?"</p><p>"Several, actually," Maenag said slowly. "Most of which can only be truly explained in depth when the time comes for you to visit the island due to their...sensitive nature. But, for now, they want your Grace to know that we have our forces assembled and ready to cross the Bay of Seals and attack the Last Hearth, the Karhold, and the Dreadfort now that most of their bannermen are at Winterfell, preparing for battle against your own army. You need only say the word, my king, and around 4,000 Skagosi will make sure that House Bolton and their allies cannot make a tactical retreat to their respective strongholds."</p><p>Jon's eyes widened, realizing that would be a huge boon to his campaign. Then he tried to school his features.</p><p>"And in exchange?" He pressed on.</p><p>"For now, merely that you give us your word that you will come to Skagos for an official visit as soon as possible," The Firemage explained. "You see, I am not at the liberty to explain much now, because many of these secrets aren't mine to share but...an old greenseer that was born on Skagos predicted your coronation a few centuries ago."</p><p>Jon stared at him in shock. "What?"</p><p>"What you heard, your Grace," The member of House Stane replied. "The Ice Dragon you now ride was the last sign that pointed to our prophecy with perfect clarity. And well, I can tell you that some among the Skagosi have...not been idle while waiting for your arrival. So, I assure you we have much to offer House Stark."</p><p>Jon interlocked his fingers as he analyzed his words in silence. He had faced several stunning revelations since becoming a god but something told him this one was going to take the pie when the time came. Still, their secrecy made him wary and that wasn't good when dealing with a society that boosted high levels of cannibalism at one point. And then there was the fact that he needed to hurry to Braavos to rescue Arya before it was too late.</p><p>Tilting his head, he turned to Sarella, the only one among them that knew one of them, although she had acted strangely at first. Suddenly, an idea came to him to verify why she trusted Nadria, so that he could be persuaded to agree to their terms in order to go search for Arya faster.</p><p>But then, he felt the power of his wish activate and he bit his lips when he realized he had accidentally worded the sentence in his mind in a valid way before he was ready. And so, his line of sight was suddenly replaced with a visual explanation of his wishful request.</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Jon blinked rapidly as the brief images faded. "<em>Huh," </em>Jon thought to himself as his cock hardened a bit at the image of Sarella's pussy being eaten, despite himself<em>. "So, they were lovers for a while. I suppose that explains a bit."</em></p><p>Still, that didn't actually put his mind at ease. So, given the secretive circumstances of their meeting, and disliking the idea of breaking his word even if it was convenient for him to do so, he sighed before wishing to know if the leaders of Skagos had any plans to betray him or his siblings. When the answer that entered his mind was a loud no, he finally made up his mind. </p><p>"Very well," The secret god said. "I give you my word that I will visit Skagos after defeating House Bolton's forces and reclaiming Winterfell. So, you can tell your men that their help to secure their territories would be very much appreciated and would probably make my visit happen much sooner. However, make it abundantly clear that they are not to kill the people who surrender, rape their women, burn their farming fields and, under no circumstances, eat anyone,"  He stressed. "That last part applies even to soldiers that may have killed Skagosi in combat. Are we clear?"</p><p>At that, the three of them bowed deeply. "Of course, my king. And it is very gratifying to hear we can count on your eventual royal visit," Maenag declared. "Thank you for your time. Now if you would please excuse us, we have to send word back to our island."</p><p>Jon nodded. "You may go. And thank you for pledging your support to my cause."</p><p>When they left, there was a long moment of silence, only broken by the crackle of firewood in the hearth. </p><p>"Well, that was interesting," The Lord of House Manderly ended up saying. "With an additional 4000-strong force of Skagosi soldiers attacking their strongholds while we face the bulk of their army, the defeat of House Bolton and their allies will be complete and their scattered remnants won't find safe haven easily. I would still recommend bringing enough guards to feel safe during your future visit to Skagos, however. It pays to be careful."</p><p>The young king simply nodded. Then he rose from his seat. "Well then, I am going to Braavos. I should be back with Arya by the next dawn at the latest. Now, walk with me towards my dragon," He added. "There are a few more things that we should talk about before I go."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, there you. I hope you enjoyed it and if that's the case I would really like to read your thoughts and questions on the matter. And yeah, as I hinted at in the interlude chapters, my OC water witch, Nadria Sand, is a lesbian from Dorne. And to clarify, in this parallel universe, she was the one that made Sarella realize she was also attracted to women. </p><p>Originally, they weren't supposed to meet under such circumstances in the book or show realities but as I have been hinting before, Jon's ascension to godhood triggered a prophetic quake on this world that was felt event in the past. This made several people with the ability of foresight make different choices based on what they saw, some with bigger effects than others. The changes this made to the timeline of Skagos, and the people it attracted, are near the top of the list, however. And I am sure we will have fun unraveling this mystery as the story progresses. </p><p>But for now, what do you think? XD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0053"><h2>53. Confessions and Self-realization</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, for all of you that like my hot gifs, I have a special surprise for you all here. Hope you like it, along with the other developments from the chapter :D</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>After Lord Manderly wished him the best of fortune on his quest to find his sister, he left his king at the tall, isolated terrace where they had been feeding the Ice Dragon some goats and mounds of snow. Which made sense, since he had to organize his forces and Jon Stark had ordered the ruler of White Harbor to hurry.</p><p>He approached his mighty dragon and she lowered her neck so that he could more easily caress it. He smiled at her with affection in his gaze. "Hello, girl. Have you enjoyed the food?"</p><p>As if on cue, she belched a bit and gave him a toothy grin. The young king shook his head in amusement at that.</p><p>"You are really smart, you know that?" The secret god asked her without expecting a verbal reply.</p><p>He wasn't disappointed when she almost seemed to shrug her wings in response. Archmaester Marwyn's unmistakable laughter reached him from behind and he turned around. "That is one magnificent creature," The specialist on the Higher Mysteries declared. "And I feel the strong urge to write a treatise on Ice Dragons for posterity at some point. Oh, the idea of becoming the first to properly document details about such barely sighted magical beasts fills me with purpose."</p><p>Jon chuckled. "Good to hear that you will also get something important to you out of serving me as Grand Maester."</p><p>His eyes widened. "So, it's official, you're Grace?"</p><p>"If you really want the job, then sure," The young king responded. "I could really use the counsel of an Archmaster that specializes in the arts of magic in this day and age. Besides, I'll need a new Maester for Winterfell now that Luwin is dead."</p><p>The elderly man gripped his Valyrian steel rod more tightly and bent the knee. "Thank you, your grace, I shall strive not to let you down."</p><p>"I am sure you will do your best," The newly legitimized Stark replied with a nod.</p><p>Then he turned to Samwell and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Learn as much as you can from him."</p><p>He chuckled. "Is that an order, my king?"</p><p>"You bet it is," Jon said quickly. "Because if we manage to defeat the White Walkers for good this time around, then the Night's Watch will have no purpose anymore as far as I am concerned. And if you have become a skilled Maester by then, I will definitely want you to succeed him as Grand Maester when the time comes."</p><p>Sam gasped at that, his eyes as round. "Are you serious?"</p><p>"You are one of my best friends Sam," Jon said with a nod. "And I trust you more than most. Of course I would want you on my council when you would be able to earn the position. But for that, you need to study so do what you do best and read to your heart's content."</p><p>The fat but ultimately courageous man was silent for a long moment as he contemplated his friend's words but then he nodded with a wide smile on his lips. "It will be my honor and my pleasure, Jon. Thank you."</p><p>"You're welcome," He answered before turning back to his new Grand Maester. "I will be back to White Harbor before long but in the meantime, I made sure Lord Manderly would formally take you in as his special guests until my return. And he added that you have his permission to explore the Library of New Castle. That should keep you entertained until I am back, I would imagine."</p><p>The elderly man grinned at that "For sure, your Grace."</p><p>"Good," the young king said. "Now, please leave us, I have something to say to my advisor before I go that is of a sensitive nature."</p><p>At that, the two men bowed and walked away, just as Sarella Sand turned to face him. "Yes, my king?"</p><p>Jon took a deep breath to calm his mind, wanting to handle this with care. "It's just that, well, I couldn't help but notice the way you reacted to seeing Nadria again."</p><p>The Dornish woman tensed at that, a look of concern on her face. Jon sighed at that.</p><p>"I know many people in Westeros disapprove of such unions between women," He began. "But I want you to know that you don't have to fear my anger on that matter. Being a bastard for most of my life has thought me that the world would be a much better place if people were kinder to one another. And I happen to know a thing or two about loving women when society claims you shouldn't be together," He added, thinking of Ygritte and Sansa with fondness.</p><p>Sarella's eyes widened at that and her lips even started to quiver. "I...didn't know what to think at first," She admitted. "I have loved men before. But then I met Nadria two years ago on that fateful journey and was completely fascinated by her. And before long, she made me feel things I had never experience before."</p><p>She paused, her eyes distant. "I knew that my father had loved both men and women but, well, my mother wasn't particularly fond of that part of him and made it known to me. So, I kept my brief but intense relationship with Nadria hidden, since I have always spent a lot more time with my captain of a mother than with House Martell. And I tried hard to forget her after Volantis and of the passion we shared. But then, I saw her again and all those feelings started rushing back in."</p><p>The Sand Snake sighed. "I just wish I had made time to talk with Oberyn about this before his death. I am sure he would have known how to help me."</p><p>Jon locked his gaze with hers as he sensed the inner turmoil that was boiling over within her. Almost on impulse, he took her hand softly and kissed it.</p><p>"Well, my Lady, I am not your father and I can't say I know what it's like to be attracted to men as well," He said. "But I will tell you this. I have grown rather fond of you. So if you ever need a good listener, I will try to make time for you. And again, you are welcome in my company."</p><p>Sarella started tearing up at that instant, as she bit her bottom lip. Then, before she could stop herself, she rushed to hug him. The young king's eyes widened slightly at that but soon decided to shrug off the major breach in protocol. So, he held her in his embrace as he tried to comfort her, her dark hair brushing with his face. Their heartbeats pounded against each other and Jon realized she smelled nice, a pleasant fragrance coating her neck that was probably from Dorne.</p><p>Then just as suddenly as they had rushed into each other's arms, they broke away and Sarella seemed to tense when she finally realized what she had just done. Jon raised a hand before she could apologize. "I will let it slide because we are alone right now. Just refrain from doing that in public the next time around."</p><p>Sarella's smile grew wider across her lips. "There will be a next time?"</p><p>Jon paused for a moment, and then repeated the truth. "As I have said, I have grown quite fond of you," He admitted.</p><p>They locked eyes with each other one more time as unspoken feeling crossed between them. Then Jon looked away, sighing for more than one reason. "I need to go look for my sister at Braavos but I'll be back soon. Take of yourself, please."</p><p>"Likewise, my caring king," She replied with affection in her tone.</p><p>Jon inhaled sharply and turned around. He took a few minutes to strap his Ice Dragon's now bigger saddle and once it was tight enough for his liking, he climbed on top of her. Then he grinned at her as a sudden idea crossed his mind. "Tell you what, I hadn't been able to come up with a name for my she-dragon that I like enough yet, so how about you give it some thought and offer me some advice on that matter when I return?"</p><p>Sarella's eyes glimmered with excitement at that prospect. "Oh, that would certainly be a high honor as far as I am concerned. I will take care of it, your Grace," She vowed.</p><p>The young king chuckled as he stared at her one last time. Then, he took a deep breath and urged his winged companion to take flight across the harbor. And as the city grew smaller behind him, he realized there was something he needed to do.</p><p><em>"Sansa, can you hear me?"</em> He beamed out with his thoughts. <em>"It's me."</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Essos: Free City of Braavos</strong> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>  </strong> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Arya Stark stood on the isolated corner of an alley, thinking about recent events as she tried to lay low while she waited until the street in front of her to become more deserted.</p><p>She had spent her iron coin to come to Braavos when it seemed that there was next to nothing for her in Westeros anymore. Well, aside from her dear half-brother Jon but she had come to realize the journey to the wall would have been too perilous without a ship. So, she fled the war and factions that wanted her dead and took Jaqen H'ghar's offer to train as an assassin of the order of Faceless Men. There, she hoped, she would learn the skills she needed to avenge her family and cross off everyone on her list that had personally wronged her.</p><p><em>"I should have known things weren't going to end well when they tried to force me to suppress my identity,"</em> Arya thought with a sigh.</p><p>Pacing a bit, the young Northern woman reminisced about the last few weeks. At first, she had been relieved when Jaqen had told her that she no longer had to kill the actress she had grown to like, even though she wasn't quite sure what to make his explanation. The Many-Faced God had sent the order important visions for the first time in centuries? That had seemed...hard to swallow for her. But his mentor was convinced of it and had summoned all the Faceless Men that were out on assignment back to the House of Black and White. According to him, the only time the order suspended all active contracts was when their Death God sent them omens through the blackened pools of the temple because, by creed, all Faceless Men must rally together to analyze the visions and decide their next course of action as a group.</p><p>However, since Arya was not properly initiated into their order yet, she wasn't allowed to take part in the proceedings. So, Jaqen had told her she was free to explore the city and do as she pleased except for premeditated murder until their deliberations had finished. They had been at it behind closed doors for 4 days now, ever since the 59th and last Faceless Man arrived at Braavos from his own assignment.</p><p>During her wandering through the city, she ended up making an unlikely friendship after a chance encounter. A courtesan had recognized her from the time she killed that damned sadist of a Kingsguard, Meryn Trant. And instead of reporting her to the authorities, she invited her to have a meal at a nearby inn, all the while thanking her for ridding the world of such a vile man that got off on torturing little girls during sex. They actually got along quite well and during the conversation, she learned that she was one of the most famous courtesans of Braavos and actually came from a prestigious line of them.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Most people knew her by the title she had inherited from the beautiful courtesan of a mother she had have, and of her mother before her: the Black Pearl. But her real name was Bellegere Otherys and Arya had raised an eyebrow with curiosity when the sensual woman had explained that she was also a direct descendant of King Aegon IV of Westeros. Regardless, they had a pleasant evening and she walked with her back to her exclusive brothel, Bellegere had told her that she was welcomed to come to her establishment any time and that she would be willing to show her the ropes in the arts of pleasure if she was ever in need of a new job to live. Arya had chuckled at that and told her she would consider the offer, thinking at the time that it was unlikely they would actually see each other again like this after she completed her initiation.</p><p>"And now, I must go to her for sanctuary because she is the only person in this city that came to like me," The Westerosi girl muttered with a sigh. "I really hope I won't be putting her in danger," She said, almost with the strength of prayer.</p><p>As the street started to empty, Arya thought back to the events of the morning. She had gone the House of Black and White again to see if the Faceless Men had finished their deliberations but she ended up finding a crew of mutes with a look of despair trying and failing to get someone to open the gates. Frowning, Arya introduced herself as a member of the order, which was true enough in the sense she was an acolyte, if not a fully initiated member. Relieved, the mute men gave her a letter and a chest, which she imagined was intended payment for an assassination contract that the letter was supposed to explain.</p><p>Since no one else from the order was likely to answer the desperate men, the Stark girl opened the letter and read it. And it took a lot of effort to ensure her face remained indifferent when she learned that Euron Greyjoy wanted to use a dragon egg as payment to kill her remaining sibling, Jon.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, she made a dangerous decision right then and there. She lied to the mutes and assured them their contract would be carried out by her order as soon as possible. Relieved, the men left and Arya sighed, realizing she was going to have to run after sabotaging what may have amounted to a valid contract. And she was going to need the dragon egg to pay passage to the Wall.</p><p>That was how she had ended up in front of her newest friend's whorehouse with a medium-sized chest in her hands. When one of the guards at the entrance asked her what she wanted, she told him that one of the Black Pearl's paramours had hired her to personally deliver this gift to the famous courtesan. With that, the bored man let her in she hurried to find her.</p><p>Impatiently, she made her way to the section of the brothel that catered to customers that wanted a massage along with the sex. So, she slowly opened the door to see if her friend was there. And then she blushed when she realized the attractive courtesan was massaging a naked woman, her skin covered in oils.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly mesmerized by her dark-skinned friend's delicate but sensual touch, Arya's eyes became glued to the spectacle before her. The other woman moaned loudly as Bellegere played her sensitive pussy like an instrument she was intimately familiar with. Then she stopped.</p><p>"Get on your hands and knees," She purred.</p><p>The woman on the bed obeyed without hesitation and Arya watched with rampant fascination as the famed courtesan started to lick her cunt with deep, calculating strokes.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>The Westerosi girl swallowed, and before she knew it, she started caressing her own clothed crotch as the other woman screamed in ecstasy.</p><p>"Oh! That feels sooo GOOD!" The nameless woman shriek. "Please don't stop!"</p><p>"Don't you worry about that," Bellegere replied when she took a moment to breathe, licking her smirking lips. "Your essence is quite sweet."</p><p>And with that, she sucked her clit hard and with abandon, making the other woman shudder.</p><p>Arya's fingers had found their way inside their pants by then and she was furiously rubbing her own folds. Moreover, she had even started imagining herself in that woman's position and she realized that the idea of learning the arts of pleasure from her friend was starting to seem more appealing to her by the second.</p><p>Before long, the expert whore started pushing her own fingers deep into the woman's love tunnel at a tremendous pace and the customer also started rubbing her own clit with a passion as she repeatedly yelled she was about to cum.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>At that, Bellegere pushed her fingers as deep as they would go moved to whisper into the woman's ear, her beautiful breasts bouncing as she did so.</p><p>"Then go ahead," She said seductively, gripping her client's ass with the other hand. "Cum for the Black Pearl."</p><p>The other woman could do nothing but do as commanded as she climaxed on the spot, the courtesan's lips sealing around her snatch so that she could suck her nectar right from the source. Arya placed a hand on her mouth to hold back a scream as she herself came at the erotic sight, and tried to hide her subsequent pants.</p><p>After a long pause where the paler woman caught her breath and gave the ebony-skinned beauty a look of devotion. Bellegere smiled at that and sent her on her way to clean herself up on the bathhouse that was located across the opposite door of the room. After vowing to return, the thoroughly satisfied customer did just that and Arya inhaled sharply before remembering why she was there.</p><p>So, she grabbed her chest from the floor and entered the large, private room. There she saw the friend she was becoming increasingly attracted to without her clothes on, a necklace with a key around her neck.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Then her eyes widened. "Arya? What are you doing here?" She asked, without even trying to cover her bare form.</p><p>The member of House Stark swallowed, and for more reasons than one. "I need your help, Bellegere."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yes, Bellegere is also a character from the books and one of the few named dark-skinned characters that descend from a bastard line of Targaryen blood, and of one that was actually from a king at that. Hope you enjoyed the gif treat! And please let me know what you think :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0054"><h2>54. The Black Pearl and the She-wolf</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, this will be the first chapter that does not have any scene with Jon or Sansa or even mentions them directly or indirectly, like the chapters from Story Arc Two: Prophetic Quake. So, for now, it is Arya's turn to take a moment of the spotlight XD</p><p>That said, I want to make something clear. The gifs for her that I am using on this chapter are either from deepfakes or footage from similar-looking porn actresses, while I keep using Nia Nacci as the actress I picked for Bellegere Otherys. However, in none of the images that involve Arya, is the actress in question underage. Just short in stature. Simply wanted to make that clear. </p><p>Now, if any of you has a problem watching Arya naked anyway for whatever reason, then don't worry, for this chapter could actually be skipped in terms of plot. In terms of relationship-building, however, it will be quite important for future interactions between Arya and Bellegere, and yes, I have plans for the Black Pearl too, along with an explanation for why she would come along that will be explained in a  future chapter. So, you may want to consider checking it out anyway, given some of my outlined plans. </p><p>Regardless, readers of mine, I hope you like it XD</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>"My help?" Asked Bellegere.</p><p>Arya nodded, but as she did so, she couldn't stop her gaze from focusing on her friend's beautiful and exotic breasts, her own mouth watering at the sight. By the time the young woman realized that she was openly staring and moved her eyes back to the light dark-skinned woman's face, the former Faceless Acolyte figured out that she was caught in the act if the Black Pearl's knowing smirk was any indication.</p><p>"Oh, that kind of help, you mean?" She asked in amusement. "Well, I suppose that I did offer to teach you the arts of pleasure, so if you're willing, sure. I can help you."</p><p>The Westerosi was sure her face must be redder than it had ever been at that point but she couldn't help but feel really, really tempted by her offer all the same. Still, she couldn't waste too much time if she wanted to leave Braavos safely.</p><p>"I...didn't mean that kind of help," Arya stammered. "Can we talk and could you maybe cover yourself up a bit?"</p><p>The famed courtesan raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "You do realize that you just walked in on me as I barely finished with a customer, right? If you have a problem with my nakedness, you should have knocked first. Besides, my client didn't make me climax and I really need to cum soon, so the answer is no, I won't cover myself right now."</p><p>The member of House Stark swallowed, finding it hard to concentrate as her gorgeous friend allowed her to look at her body openly. Then Bellegere frowned in disapproval, which made her a bit worried all of the sudden.</p><p>"My, my so you were spying on me and my customer, weren't you?" She asked in a definitive tone.</p><p>Arya's eyes widened in alarm and realized that she wasn't the only one there that was focusing her gaze on lewd displays since her naked friend was openly staring at the wide, wet spot between her legs.</p><p>"Now, Arya, I know I told you that you were welcomed here but you should have known better, as that was rude," She declared. "And it doesn't make me very inclined to help you right now."</p><p>"I am sorry, I am sorry!" Arya asked with concern and embarrassment in her tone. "I know I should have closed the door again after realizing what you were doing. It's just that...I had never seen anything so mesmerizing before," The woman of the North admitted.</p><p>At that, Bellegere smiled, seemingly pleased by her answer. "Well, at least you are admitting it. And I am pleased to see that you hadn't sold the dragonglass bracelet I gave you as a little gift, to commemorate a very pleasant evening together, which we toasted to new friends in the inn. So, I will let you make it up to me. And then we can see what I could do to help you with your problem."</p><p>"Of course, what can I do?" The Stark woman asked, eager to maintain her friendship with the only one left in the city that liked her, not to mention had enough contacts in the port to get her away from Braavos.</p><p>At that, the famous Black Pearl removed the necklace that carried a key from around her neck and sat back down on the white covers of the bed, grinning knowingly at her as she started to caress her own wet pussy without any shame.</p><p>"As I told you, I really do need to cum," She said in a heated tone. "But don't worry, I won't ask you to touch me if you don't want to. Just please sit down on the chair in front of me and take your clothes off. I could use a lovely sight right now while I work myself up to a climax."</p><p>Arya gaped at her request, her mouth opened and closed several times as she continued to stare at her friend that was fingering herself. Then she shook her head to clear it a bit so that she could answer. "I...don't think my body is that lovely," She answered, ashamed.</p><p>"My dear Arya, do you have any idea how many ugly men and women I have been hired to pleasure this fortnight alone?" The experienced courtesan asked. "I can assure you that I know for a fact you are more beautiful than you think. And believe me, I can say that with vast experience."</p><p>Despite herself, the short, Northern woman started smiling at that. She had never really been praised for her beauty before, especially not in such a sensual context. And as surprised as she was to discover that she was actually sexually attracted to gorgeous, naked women, Bellegere was right. She had been rude in her actions. So, she should make it up to her friend and help make her feel good indirectly.</p><p><em>"Besides, I suppose it's not fair for her to be the only one to be naked,"</em> She reasoned mentally. <em>"Not to mention that I am pressed for time, so, the sooner we get this over with, the sooner she can help me."</em></p><p>And so, feeling bolder than usual, Arya Stark sat down on the padded chair as requested and started taking off her clothes for her friend's viewing pleasure. Before long, she had let her hair down and her own chest was in display, with only her underpants covering her now. Bellegere looked at her lustfully and started fingering her lower lips faster. This made Arya smile, despite the unexpected situation she found herself in. No one had ever looked at her with such a look of desire before.</p><p>Suddenly wishing to give her well-connected friend a more erotic sight to behold, the Northern woman started caressing her breasts and legs. She didn't have any experience putting up a show for someone else but she did know what made her feel good whenever she found time alone to pleasure herself, so she was hoping Bellgere would like it.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Her friend moaned and her folds grew moister. "I knew you were going to be a lovely sight. Don't sell yourself short, Arya. Beauty has many forms."</p><p>The short woman beamed at her, beyond pleased with the compliments of such a famed and gorgeous courtesan. And feeling the heat between her own thighs rising again, the member of House Stark started to remove her cum-soaked undergarments, before tossing them away. Now as bare as the day she was born aside from her bracelet, she continued using her hands to caress her naked body and began to spread her legs for her friend's hungry gaze.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bellegere inhaled sharply when she took a long look at Arya's pussy and realized how wet it was for her. Then she moved her gaze up and down, as she slowly took in her short friend's flesh.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"I see you are really starting to get into this," The brown-skinned beauty declared. "Good to see you are enjoying it as much as me."</p><p>Arya started to grin, lust climbing to her gaze. "Well, I have never felt so desired by someone as incredibly sensual as you. But there is a first time for everything, I guess."</p><p>The so-called Black Pearl of Braavos smirked at that. "Well then, let me give you something to remember."</p><p>And with that, she turned around on the bed and presented her amazingly shaped ass to the Northern woman, and started fingering herself furiously as she turned her head to look at her reaction.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Based on her amused look on her face when Arya moaned loudly, the member of House Stark figured out Bellegere was not disappointed.</p><p>"Fuck!" She swore as she started fingering herself with a passion. "You are so hot!"</p><p>The famed courtesan didn't reply as she was too caught up with rubbing her clit with abandon. And as the seconds passed and the speed of her hand increased, it was clear to the short woman that she was very close.</p><p>And suddenly, Arya Stark realized what she desired more than anything right now.</p><p>"Wait!" The sweaty, short woman said as she stood up. "Let me lick you as you cum."</p><p>Bellegere paused when she heard that, giving her a long look. "Have ever had sex with a woman before?" She asked her.</p><p>"No, but I want to," The Northern woman proclaimed, her eyes hungry for the pussy before her. "Please, let me make you feel good."</p><p>The Black Pearl smirked then. "Alright, but I am on top. Get on the bed, my sweet."</p><p>And so, she moved onto the white sheets as Bellegere gave her space. Then, she turned on her back, and almost immediately, the exotic woman was trailing her fingers from the bush at the shorter woman's thighs, to the valley of her breasts. The two of them exchanged a heated look for a long moment and then, the expert courtesan rose so that she could spread her legs above her friend's face. Arya watched her ebony cunt up close, almost spell-bound, and realized she couldn't remember having ever seen anything so appealing.</p><p>And when her tongue finally licked her first pussy, Arya Stark became convinced that it would not be her last.</p><p>"Ahhhh!" The brown-skinned beauty moaned as her friend assaulted her cunt. "Someone is eager, I see...damn, are you sure this is the first cunt you have eaten?"</p><p>The Northern woman couldn't have replied even if she wanted to. She was too focused on pleasuring the delicious lower lips in front of her. Like a hungry she-wolf devouring her meal, Arya licked her hard and fast, her strokes making the folds even wetter.</p><p>Bellegere actually started screaming in pleasure eventually and Arya barely managed to see her smiling down at her, an impressed look on her face. Then, the Black Pearl moved her arm towards Arya's own dripping cunt, and fingered her as well.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Yes! That's the spot! Eat me just like that!" The veteran courtesan shrieked.</p><p>The short but relentless woman stuck her tongue inside her friend's pussy lips as deep as it would go and tasted her insides with it. That pushed the brown-skinned woman with the blood of the dragons within her over the edge, her eyes snapping shut as she came.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Arya sucked on her pussy as hard as she could as she climaxed, wanting to taste every drop. And before long, she did.</p><p>Bellegere took a deep breath as her friend's licks slowed in their intensity and looked down at her with a beaming smile.</p><p>"That was, without a doubt, the most pleasurable pussy licking experience I have gotten from someone with no previous experience with lesbian sex," She announced with a proud look. "So, please,  allow me to take care of you now."</p><p>And before Arya could respond, her eyes widened when her gorgeous lover moved towards her head towards her pussy and started eating her out with skillful ease.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Arya screamed into Bellegere's pussy, the vibrations pleasing her lover and making her moan into her own cunt. Before long, she couldn't take it anymore and gasped, her jaw dropping as she experienced the most powerful climax that she has had in her entire life until that point.</p><p>As soon as the Black Pearl of Braavos licked her clean, she rolled on the bed, landing right beside her as she took a deep breath.</p><p>"That...was...wonderful," Arya said in bliss. "Thank you so much for talking me into this."</p><p>Bellegere smiled. "You're welcome. And I am always happy to help women discover a pleasant side of their sexuality that was buried before."</p><p>"Well, thank you for making my very first time feel so special," She responded, affection heavy in her gaze.</p><p>The courtesan's eyes widened. "Wait, so, this wasn't just your first time with a woman, but your first time having sex with anyone at all?"</p><p>"Yes," The member of House Stark said with a radiant smile. "And I am sure I will cherish the memory forever."</p><p>The brown-skinned woman paused at that for a moment, a thoughtful look on her. But then, her expression turned into a visage of fondness, and she got closer to her new lover. They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, their faces mere inches apart. Then, Bellegere locked her lips with her.</p><p>And Arya was more than happy to return the kiss with a passion.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, that happened XD </p><p>I hope you enjoyed the ride, for this was a tough chapter to edit. Now, we get back to Jon on the next chapter but, in the meantime, feel free to leave your thoughts and comments down below. </p><p>Until next time!</p>
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<a name="section0055"><h2>55. Contemplations above the Narrow Sea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, here is the next chapter and we are back to Jon and Sansa. I hope you enjoy the important conversations in more ways than one that you will find within. But there is one thing I wanted to mention before we begin: I am interested in finding or commissioning some Game of Thrones fan art for the story. </p><p>To clarify, the rough idea I have right now is to get some art that I feel would be fitting in a future arc that deals with an anniversary of Jon's reign as king. I have some ideas of how I want that to go but for in-universe purposes, imagine that should any of you readers of mine like to make fanart or know someone that does, and are interesting in producing some for me, whether for free advertisement or for a reasonable fee, I would be incorporating the artwork you produced for the unveiling of said monumental artwork to commemorate some highlights of Jon's life and reign along with those his current wives by that point. So, if any of you have fan art experience or know someone that does that might be interested in reading this story, by all means, let me know. I would be most interested in checking out your previous work and talking about what we might be able to produce together from our joint vision.</p><p>Anyway, that's enough announcement for now. And like always...</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>Jon Stark had grown silent while flying towards Braavos, the northern winds actually speeding his travels. He had been catching Sansa up with everything that had happened since he met up with the gathered Riverlords the day before heading out to Greywater Watch and of all the important details of his stay at White Harbor, both expected and not. By the time he was done, he had just left behind the easternmost island that was within the domain of the Vale, which meant there was only an open sea on his flying path until he reached Braavos; according to the maps he found on White Harbor and the magical orientation he gained through his wishes just in case.</p><p>Sansa stayed quiet for a longer moment than he would have liked but he supposed it was understandable given what they had discussed with what they were sure Margaery grandmother was going to require of him to consolidate a most useful alliance with the Reach, both in military and agricultural terms. And of course...there were all the details he had shared with her about his conversations with Sarella Sand and how he had asked her to join his new court as an advisor after she impressed him.</p><p>Eventually, he literally sensed the sigh that came out of his beloved sister's mouth, hundreds of miles away.</p><p><em>"Thank you for being honest with me, Jon,"</em> Sansa said through their mental link. <em>"I can tell how nervous it made you, yet you wanted to keep no secrets from me all the same. That is certainly appreciated. Although, when we agreed to bring more women into our future marriage so that we could have the chance to resurrect some of our loved ones, I must say I didn't expect you to get approached by an excellent political match so soon after we last saw each other. And that's to say nothing of the intelligent woman that has caught your eye already,"</em> She added with a hint of resignation in her tone.</p><p>Jon closed his eyes, feeling ashamed. <em>"I am sorry Sansa. I swear I was looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you and keeping the vows of our wedding night when the time came. But I never counted on getting such a condition on my powers to restore our family and more."</em></p><p><em>"Well, it is the card we have been dealt by the hand of fate, and we will both get miraculous things we want out of it, so even if it seems like you are breaking your singular commitment to me, remember that you are doing it for far, far better reasons than of any Lord I have heard off that doesn't get enough out of their lawful wife,"</em> The redhead reminded him.</p><p><em>"I know,"</em> Jon responded with a sigh. <em>"And I am aware that I could technically find a way to use my powers to make our royal, polygamous marriage a lot more socially acceptable than it would otherwise be. But I still can't completely shake the feeling that this isn't an honorable approach and that bothers me, especially knowing that if you ever feel jealous in the future it will be completely justified and all on me."</em></p><p><em>"And I love you even more for being mindful of that, Jon, believe me,"</em> Sansa said softly, beaming out her thoughts to him in a soothing tone. <em>"To be fair, however, I can't say I have much reason to complain about Margaery being an option, given that she was my closest friend on King's Landing."</em></p><p>Jon tilted his head in mild relief. <em>"I was at least hoping that that would be the case, as that would make it easier for the two of you to get along if all goes well."</em></p><p><em>"Oh, I am sure it would still take an adjustment period on both our parts," </em>His sister admitted. <em>"But yes, I do think we might eventually manage. Especially if you remain the caring lover I know and love."</em></p><p><em>"I will certainly try to be,"</em> Jon said in agreement. <em>"Even if we all get many benefits out of this polygamous marriage, I must strive my best to make sure I can make you all happy...which I imagine is hard enough with a single wife but I must try all the same."</em></p><p><em>"And that, my beloved brother, is why I have so much faith in you,"</em> Sansa said with a sweet laugh that echoed inside his mind. <em>"There will be many difficulties ahead for all of us and many of them will be unknown to us until they are staring at us right in the face. But if you stay true to your best self, Jon, I am sure we will be able to thrive together, come what may."</em></p><p>Jon actually teared up a little at that, getting emotional at his wonderful sister's continued support, especially after what he had told her today. So, he decided to take inspiration from the last time they had a mental conversation and concentrated on all the feelings of love he felt for Sansa right then and there. Before long, he felt her gasp.</p><p><em>"I really do love you, Sansa,"</em> Jon declared. <em>"No matter what happens, never forget that."</em></p><p><em>"I won't,"</em> She replied back across the distance, her tone choked up with the swell of emotions. </p><p>They remained silent for a long moment after that, and Jon patted the neck of his mighty she-dragon in the meantime, almost absentmindedly. He no longer saw islands ahead but knew he was getting closer and closer to Braavos upon the powerful wings of his huge companion. Eventually, Sansa broke the silence to ask him an important question.</p><p><em>"I know she was born very far from the North but do you think Sarella Sands may be related to you, however distantly, by your mother's family?" </em>She asked. <em>"That might be a boon if so. I am still not entirely sure how closely related by blood must the future mothers of your children be so that the resurrection block is overcomed but I have been doing some research while you have been away and if we limit to the families House Stark has married into around the North, we honestly don't have many options for brides right now that are of a suitable age for you, aside from Alys Karstark and Wynafryd Manderly, the eldest grandchild of Lord Wyman,"</em> She reminded. <em>"Darcey Mormont might have been a good candidate but while it's good to hear Maege survived the Red Wedding, her eldest daughter was not so lucky. I even asked around at Ironrath to check if House Forrester might have Stark blood in their family tree somewhere because they do have two living, unwed daughters that are called Mira and Talia. The former I even meet on King's landing a few times since she was one of Margaery's handmaidens when I was there and she certainly seemed pretty and around your own age at least. However, while Rodrick claimed that his father told him that there was a marriage between a Stark bastard and a second-born daughter of House Forrester over a thousand years ago, it was so long ago that they have lost the records for that section of their family tree, so I can't verify if there is a chance that their bloodline would have to lead up to the current generation of Forrester women, even though it would still seem unlikely as she wasn't the firstborn daughter at the time."</em></p><p><em>"So,"</em> Sansa went on, <em>"I guess I am trying to say that it would probably be helpful if we could finally find out who your mother really was, especially if she was of a noble House and had surviving female relatives. Even if they aren't highborn, however, it might be the push we need to get to the bare minimum of 5 wives that share your blood. Otherwise, due to the bloodshed the War of the Five Kings, and its aftermath caused to the North, we might end up falling short...even if we end up needing to include Arya on the list," </em>She added with a blush that he could sense from across the sea.</p><p>Jon sighed, feeling awkward at the last point especially but understanding her arguments. <em>"Yes, the thought has crossed my mind that we might need to ask Arya to join our marriage if we want to overcome the barrier around my resurrection powers, assuming she is willing. But to be honest, and I hope you don't take offense at this, I am still uncomfortable with the idea and that's probably because Arya and I were much closer as siblings growing up than you and me were."</em></p><p><em>"No offense taken,"</em> His betrothed assured him. <em>"It makes a lot of sense. Regardless, we have always known that Arya was always going to be resistant to the idea of being married off to someone against her will so if we end up approaching the subject to her, we need to get her to agree on her own terms. It will take a while for her to adjust in that case, I am sure, but to be fair, since you were always her favorite brother, she may be less hesitant to the idea than we may think right now. I guess we will find out in due time. </em></p><p><em>"But my point stands,"</em> The Lady of Winterfell in exile maintained. <em>"Do you have any reason to suspect this clever woman you have grown fond of, Sarella Sand, has any blood relations to you?"</em></p><p><em>"Well,"</em> Jon said slowly, <em>"I guess that would depend on whether the rumor that Ashara Dayne is my mother is true or not. As far as I know, House Martell has some blood connections to House Dayne, although I am not certain of the specifics right now. If it was really Ashara, however, then yes, I think if Sarella were to bear some of my children then it would qualify as far as the resurrection wall is concerned. But I just don't know for sure."</em></p><p>There was a long pause then Sansa's mental tone turned delicate and tactful.<em> "Do you...want to use your powers to find out who your mother was, or does the idea that the answer would be a disappointment make you hesitate?"</em></p><p>The new god sighed. <em>"It did make me hesitate but I still had the idea in the back of my head for weeks. Still, it doesn't matter. I finally cracked while en route to White Harbor during the flight and the answer was silence. After some thinking, I realized that it had to do with one of the other rules placed by the god that gave me these powers that came to my mind in my sleep after one of our...intimate nights,"</em> He explained with a shake of the head. <em>"It seems that since I don't know for sure who my mother is, my powers regard her as a complete blank on my family tree, and as such, I can't gain the answer, nor a direct connection to any of her relatives until I learn who she was from another source."</em></p><p><em>"That...must have been frustrating for you,"</em> His beloved sister said empathetically <em>"But I guess it is what it is. Don't worry, I am sure we will find a way to get the answer eventually. But for now, well, focus on getting Arya back safely, will you? Remember that you are seeking her out because your powers warned you that soon she will be in mortal danger if you aren't there to protect her and if she dies, not only will we grieve a lot once more but you will be unable to revive her for the time being,"</em> Sansa stressed with urgency in her tone. <em>"Best if we avoid that."</em></p><p>The young king had no reason to disagree with her assessment. <em>"True that. Well, I think I have taken enough of your time. You should probably keep up with your preparations to withstand Ramsay's impending attack until I return. In the meantime, remember that you will receive reinforcements from the knights arriving from the Vale and White Harbor soon. So, just hold it together for a bit. We will soon give Ramsay the punishment he deserves,"</em> He vowed.</p><p><em>"I can't wait,"</em> Sansa replied with a hint of fierceness in her tone. <em>"Fly safe, Jon. I love you."</em></p><p><em>"I love you too, Sansa, </em> <em>I will be back as soon as I can. Stay strong, like I know you can be."</em></p><p>And with that, he closed the mental link with his sister through a wish, wording it in just the right way so that his Ice Dragon would recover much of his energies after the long flight thus far. She actually roared in surprise at the sudden surge in strength but her wings moved faster right then and there and Jon smiled as he caressed her neck.</p><p>"Don't worry girl, as I promised you before, I will try to take care of you. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, there you go. I will try to update the next chapter soonish within the next 21 hours, so stay tuned. Hope you enjoyed it and like always, feel free to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And again, if you are interested in checking out my fan art offer, then, by all means, let me know. </p><p>Until next time.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0056"><h2>56. Colossal Arrival</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, in my time zone, it's still the 20th of November so, happy 1 month anniversary of the story since its first chapter was posted on Archive of Our Own! Thanks a lot for all the constant and encouraging support. You guys are a big part of the reason why I have managed to get to 55 chapters within its very first month.</p><p>So, without more preamble, enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="chapter-content">
  <p>"So," Bellegere Otherys finally asked about twenty minutes later. "What exactly can I do for you and what does it have to do with that chest you brought all the way here?"</p>
  <p>The two of them had just finished washing themselves in a small but private bathhouse of the brothel that was reserved only for the Black Pearl and those she allowed entry; which was just beside the room they had made love on. It was cozy and warm enough and Arya definitely enjoyed watching her beautiful bare form as it was covered in water, especially after she allowed the shorter woman to wash her exotic breasts clean.</p>
  <p>Remembering that Bellegere had made sure to lock the door with the key she had been carrying around her neck, the Northern woman took a deep breath and walked up the stairs of the steamy bath, water dropping from her own naked body as she did so. She didn't like the idea of lying about something so big to her first lover, regarding where she got such precious cargo. However, now more than ever, she felt scared to death of bringing down the Faceless Men upon her by accident. So, the less she knew the safer she would be.</p>
  <p>The member of House Stark moved the chest until it was at the border of the private Braavosi tub. Then, without wasting any more time, she opened it directly before the famed courtesan. And just like that, the Westerosi got to see what the veteran courtesan's face looked like when driven by absolute shock. Despite the gravity of the situation, she couldn't help but smirk in amusement for a moment.</p>
  <p>"Is that...is that a...?" The brown-skinned beauty trailed off, at a loss for words.</p>
  <p>"A dragon egg? Unfortunately, yes," Arya said with a grimace. "I don't know all the details and what little I do know comes from a letter I found after, well, the writer was already dead, so it's not like I could verify his words," She began, sad at feeling the need to lie but wanting to give her an excuse to deny her involvement. "But to cut a long story short, I found this on the night I killed Meryn Trant for killing my water dancer mentor. It seems he won it on a bet in King's Landing and was hoping he could sell it in Braavos to a rich customer."</p>
  <p>"Right," Bellegere said slowly. "And I imagine that you are afraid of keeping it in your person for much longer as it might link you to his murder, even though his delegation already returned to Westeros by now."</p>
  <p>"You could say that," Arya said replied, trying to control the tone of her voice as she lied to the woman that made her feel so desired. "But then I remembered what you said about tracing your ancestry to King Aegon IV and I thought that, well, maybe you would be interested in buying it from me for a lot less than usual but enough for me to pay passage on a good ship to cross the Narrow Sea?" She asked with a hopeful tone.</p>
  <p>At that, the Black Pearl of Braavos finally shifted her gaze from the dragon egg to look at her thoughtfully, as if analyzing several things at once. "Well, being a courtesan of my reputation does mean I have a lot more gold than usual for women in my profession," She acknowledged. "Besides, I would definitely be interested in connecting a bit more with my ancestral blood of the dragons, and it's hard to do better these days than getting one of these rare eggs. Who knows, maybe I could even find a way to hatch it like Daenerys Targaryen did when she gained the title of Mother of dragons," Her lover said with a sudden smirk as she toyed with the idea. "Maybe I could call myself the Black Pearl of Dragons then."</p>
  <p>Then her expression turned more serious. "But tell me, have you have grown tired of Braavos then?"</p>
  <p>The Northern woman flinched a bit at that. She hadn't expected to get caught up so emotionally with Bellegere but she still needed to leave, for both their sakes. "Not really. But I receive news that my brother Jon is still alive and...I am afraid of being too late to reunite with another member of my family again," She admitted.</p>
  <p>Bellegere's eyes became full of sympathy at that statement. "I understand. Not that many years ago, I was too late to see the previous Black Pearl, my mother Bellonara, in the palace of the rich merchant prince she married when she retired, before illness took her. That's certainly a terrible feeling."</p>
  <p>Then she sighed. "Alright, I will buy it from you and instruct the captain of a ship I know, that often that trades wine from the Free Cities with White Harbor, to take you with him. I will also recommend him to give you a cabin. Believe me, he won't say no to me. And don't you worry, a dragon egg is worth more than just one the price of passage across the Narrow Sea so I will also give you enough gold to take you farther than that in the North if you want. Still, I was growing fond of you and was starting to hope you would join me here. I think I am going to miss you."</p>
  <p>"I would hope," Arya said as she teared up a bit. "Because I am sure as hell going to miss you. Like I told you before, I suspect I am going to treasure the memories of my first time forever. So...thank you," She whispered.</p>
  <p>Bellegere sighed again, this time even harder. Then she looked at the Westerosi woman as if trying to make up her mind about something. Finally, she nodded almost imperceptively.</p>
  <p>"Last I heard, the captain I was talking about won't be heading to the docks to load his ship for departure for at least a couple of hours more because most of his crew members got drunk last night," The exotic beauty told her with softness in her tone. "So, we are going to have to wait a little while anyway before I can talk to him. And I don't have any other customers that reserved their time with me for the day so...do you want to sleep beside me before you have to leave?"</p>
  <p>Arya's lips started quivering at that. She had expected many things when she set out on her journey to Braavos, most of them involving her quest for revenge. But never had she contemplated getting her heart broken by having to leave a lover behind. Hating herself a little for showing such weakness but unable to help it, she nodded, her head trembling a bit.</p>
  <p>Bellegere shook her head at that with sadness in her gaze and hugged her naked form for a long moment. Arya gripped her tightly, smelling the essence of her wonderful body at that moment. But eventually, they broke away and the Black Pearl led her to the room that will pass for their bedchamber for the next few hours.</p>
  <p>And the she-wolf of Winterfell settled down, trying to get used to the idea of getting to enjoy the presence of her first mate one last time.</p>
  <p> </p>
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  <p>Jon smiled when he saw the vast layer of fog. According to the orientation senses that he was getting from his previous wish, he knew for a fact that he had almost arrived at Braavos.</p>
  <p>"It seems making you recover your energy with my powers does wonder for your speed, girl," Jon said, stating the obvious with a smile. "We have reached the city faster than I thought we would."</p>
  <p>His winged behemoth seemed to hum in contentment when he vigorously petted her neck. But then the wind blew much harder and the fog started to depart. Before long, the city of Braavos and it's imposing, sculpted fortress known as the Titan, emerged into view.</p>
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  <p>Jon raised an eyebrow at that. It isn't often that he saw structures that impressed him much now that he had seen the Wall but then again, this was one of the Nine Wonders Made by Man, according to the book he had always loved reading when he still lived in Winterfell, that had been written by the famous traveler Lomas Longstrider. And now that he looked at it in person, the gigantic statue that housed an entire military garrison within it certainly qualified as a wonder in his eyes.</p>
  <p>He was snapped out of his thoughts, however, when his companion started snarling and picked up the pace. Concerned, Jon tried to steer her back up to the clouds above but she seemed determined to press on forward...and only then did he realized that his mighty she-dragon might have regarded the image of such a colossal statue of a warrior, much taller than even her, as a dangerous threat.</p>
  <p>Before he could concentrate enough to word a wish that would allow him to calm her down and get out of sight, the only tamed Ice Dragon in the known world landed her talons on the top of the enormous bronze helmet of the Titan of Braavos and roared as loudly as she could.</p>
  <p>Then, for a brief, paralyzing moment of dread, there was absolute silence in the city below. But screams soon echoed across the lagoon and countless guards and sailors pointed at them in alarm. Jon cursed. It seemed his original plan to hide his dragon while quickly searching for Arya have just been shattered after getting frozen solid.</p>
  <p>And they had just painted an enormous target on their backs in full view of a city filled with proud people whose ancestors had fleed the Dragonlords of Old Valyria once upon a time.</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, seems like conventional stealth is out of the window now XD</p><p>Hope you like the chapter. It was a bit of a scene-setter for both Jon and Arya but important for setting the stage now that Jon has arrived. Anyway, thanks for reading, and if you liked it, feel free to let me know what you thought, as always.</p><p>Until next time and once more, happy 1 month anniversary :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0057"><h2>57. Mutual Tracking</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, before we begin, I just wanted to let you all know that as of this chapter, my story now has over 1,500 comments! So, thanks a lot for the interest! Writing this has been an even bigger blast while reading your words of encouragement and theories about you think may happen. Much appreciated!</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>Jon Stark grimaced, trying to focus as the world went mad below him. The young king hadn't meant to terrify the people of the famous Free City. He knew that, historically, they had valid reasons to despise dragons, which is why he had originally planned to take his winged companion to an isolated corner of the region once they were close before using his powers to magically transport himself to Arya's location. He hadn't counted on her getting rattled beyond reason by the sight of the imposing Titan of Braavos, though. And now, the citizens below him must be expecting the worse.</p><p>So, thinking quickly, he realized he was going to have to change his plans. He would still use his powers to reach Arya faster but this time he was going to urge his dragon to stay close enough to come to his aid if needed but high enough in the air so as to avoid getting threatened by the weapons of the Braavosi. That way, she won't feel the need to retaliate with frost-flame while he is distracted. And if dangers find them before they can leave, he can always call his Ice Dragon forth through their bond to defend them and scare their enemies if things start to get so public that he would hesitate to unleash the full might of his wishes openly.</p><p>Shortly after he made up his mind, however, Jon heard the clash of metal below him and he frowned, looking down. Then his eyes widened when he spotted murder holes opening at the top of the Titan's helmet, and arrows started getting fired.</p><p>After a quick look, he realized that his Ice Dragon's scales were more than thick enough to avoid getting wounded by those small steel projectiles but their actions clearly made her angry as she roared once more, this time in rage instead of as a challenge. Alarmed, Jon hurried to place his hand on her neck and concentrated as hard as he could on the mental bond he had forged between them.</p><p>"DO NOT ATTACK THEM!" Jon yelled, both mentally and with his actual voice.</p><p>And just like that, her open maw closed again before she could fire up a stream of frost-flame but her body language remained tense. After Jon dodged an arrow that came close to him this time, he certainly understood why that was. Then, he urged her to fly on high above the city, out of reach of the archers at the top of the colossus, and she obliged her powerful wings casting a long shadow over Braavos.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>House of Black and White: Free City of Braavos</strong> </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>  </strong> </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The agent of the Many-Faced God that was carrying the face of the man once known as Jaqen H'ghar opened the outer gates of their temple before anyone else, urgency visible in his steps. And as he looked up from the outside, he saw tangible proof that one of the visions he had seen in the blackened pools had come to pass.</p><p>A dragon was flying above Braavos, its shadow falling over their great city like an omen of annihilation.</p><p>The servant's gaze hardened as he gripped his cane more tightly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Thank you for the warning, our god of death," He said in a reverent tone. "With the entire order of the Faceless gathered here at once to interpret Your divine messages, I am sure we will be able to defend Braavos."</p><p>Before long, the opposite-colored gates opened once more, and the remaining 58 of the Faceless Men gathered in the entrance of their temple. Many of them nodded grimly but without surprise in their eyes when they glimpsed the dragon above. Then, one by one, they turned to him, making him feel the echoes of surprise within the core of his being when he realized why that was.</p><p><em>"I was the one that was chosen by the Many-Faced God to first witness His visions, so the other servants are trusting me to lead them now that one of them had come to pass,"</em> He thought solemnly.</p><p>Then he took a deep breath as he analyzed the situation as quickly as he could. And once he had a plan, he pressed his wooden cane loudly into the stairs.</p><p>"We don't know where that winged menace is going to begin attacking so our first priority will be to divide our forces so that we can better protect the most important and likely targets of the city," The man with the borrowed face of Jaqen H'ghar declared. "Gather your varied tools of assassination as fast as you can and head out in groups to the Sealord's Palace, our prized Arsenal, the headquarters of the Iron Bank, the Temple of the Moonsingers, and the uppermost level of the Titan of Braavos," He ordered. "And those that go to the latter, remember to bring your most ranged tools with you, for you may have the best chance of attack while this beast is in the air. Just remember that a handful of us should stay behind to guard the sacred ground of the Many-Faced God."</p><p>Everyone nodded in concert and headed back into the House of Black and White to grab their instruments of death without complaint. Before he could do the same, however, he frowned when he remembered something.</p><p>
  <em>"Where had the girl once known as Arya Stark gone to?"</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>The young King of the North and the Trident was about to use his secret, godly powers to reunite with his dear sister after so long when a scorpion bolt was shot from the back of the Titan's bronze helm and very nearly pierced one of his companions' wings. And before he could focus enough to stop her, she turned her huge head back and fired a blast of frost.</p><p>Jon shivered and not from the cold as he turned back, dreading to see what he would find. But to his immense relief, it appeared that his mental insistence through their bond to ensure she would only scare off those that would try to attack them had taken hold in her mind since the frost-flame was directed at the open, empty space beside the colossus head as a warning shot. Jon petted her at that and expressed his gratitude through their link.</p><p>"Thank you," He told her. "Please, try to keep that up if you can instead of actually hurting the people below us or destroying parts of their city. They don't know we mean them no harm and are afraid for the safety of their homes, girl, so we shouldn't kill them just for these acts of confusion."</p><p>Then the secret god sighed. "I will try to rescue Arya as fast as I can. Then we will let you know where we are through our bond so that we can get out of here as fast as we can. In the meantime, try to stay close but far enough to avoid their attacks. See you soon, my friend."</p><p>And with that, Jon wished to appear in the same area as Arya currently is but making sure he wouldn't get so close so as to transport himself inside a wall beside her, for instance. Before even a second had passed since he finished his sentence, Jon Stark was no longer astride his dragon's saddle.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Isle of the Gods: Free City of Braavos</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Shallan Ravad, High Priestess of the Temple of the Moonsingers, the largest and most revered holy site in Braavos, exited the doors of her temple as she searched for the source of the roar, dreading what she might find in the skies. And like she suspected, she found a dragon looming over the Free City of Braavos.</p><p>Nevertheless, unlike the shrieks of terror that she heard around the Isle of the Gods when her fellow citizens saw the winged behemoth fire around their giant sentry, Shallan's eyes widened not from terror but because she recognized the sign before her.</p><p>Frost instead of flame.</p><p>The high priestess gasped, feeling herself tear up as joy filled her very being. "Have my prayers at last been answered?" She said in a small voice, her tone cracking as she realized what this meant.</p><p>Then she froze, understanding not everyone in Braavos will see in that way. And so, she turned back to their holy temple, made larger than the rest in honor of the fact it was the prophecies of the ancient Moonsingers that lead the former slaves to Braavos when they escaped Old Valyria centuries earlier.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Before long, she started running back inside with all her speed. It seems her goddess had deemed a prophecy most cherished to her would happen in her lifetime and she had no intention to let them down.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The secret god took in his surroundings when he appeared inside a building. It seemed to be a bathhouse of some kind but no one was inside a far as he could tell. So, finding only one door at the end of the room he opened it and crossed beyond.</p><p>That was when his jaw dropped.</p><p>There was a large bed before him and currently occupying it was a naked, dark-skinned beauty and...his equally naked sister, who was hugging her with her head pressed to the other woman's breast.</p><p>At first, Jon felt outraged, thinking that his sister had to sell herself to a brothel so that she could eat and feeling guilty at not verifying more of her situation with his powers so that he could help her. But then, he saw the look of peace and contentment that was apparent in her sleeping features and it gave him pause. Which in turn widened his eyes as a new possibility entered his mind.</p><p>"Oh gods," Jon muttered. "I had no idea you would have preferred women as lovers given the chance, Arya."</p><p>Apparently, he wasn't as quiet as he thought because his sister opened her eyes right then and there and she blinked rapidly when she saw him standing there.</p><p>"Jon?!" She asked in shock. "Brother, is that you?"</p><p>Despite the shock he had just felt, he couldn't help but smile warmly at her and nodded. Suddenly, she took off from the bed and jumped on his arms, hugging him with her bare form as hard as she could.</p><p>And just like that, the two siblings, long separated by war, chaos, distance, and duty were reunited at long last.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And Arya has finally entered the fray! :D</p><p>Hope you liked the chapter! And if you did, feel free to let me know what you think.</p><p>Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0058"><h2>58. Of Wild Cards in Thought and Flesh</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>What's this? A new chapter so soon after the last one was published? Yes, it seems like that's what it is :D</p><p>Long story short, I will be quite busy for the next 2 days so I am was uncertain if I was going to be able to post a new one on Monday night. So, I am bringing the next chapter earlier. Hope you enjoy it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>"I have missed you so much, Jon!" Arya said with her eyes closed as she embraced him more tightly, pressing her chest against him.</p><p>Jon sighed and hugged her back, feeling so relieved at seeing her again and alive at that, after being concerned for her safety all day. But then, she pressed her bare pussy right into his crotch and his eyes widened when he couldn't stop his growing stiffness from poking at her center.</p><p>Arya froze at that moment and she opened her eyes, a look of dawning, dreadful realization on her face. Then she looked down at herself and yelped, the most high pitched noise he had ever heard from his no-nonsense sister. Jumping back, she covered her chest and lower lips with her arms and blushed the deepest shade of red he had ever seen on her.</p><p>"Look away!" His little sister screamed.</p><p>Jon did just that, more than a little amused despite himself that their awaited reunion was interrupted by...whatever this was. Arya went around the room, clearly trying to find her clothes and he heard some stirrings from the bed but it seemed the naked woman he had seen there had decided to take in the scene before talking. Eventually, Arya moved in front of him instead of asking him to turn around, her skin still flushed and her hair disheveled but otherwise dressed this time.</p><p>"Let's just forget that ever happened, please?" She pleaded.</p><p>Jon stared at her, trying to better focus his eyes on her in the dim light of the room and slowly shook his head. "I...don't think I can, Arya. I need to know what exactly did I just walked into. Have you had to sell your body to be able to eat?"</p><p>"No, no, no!" His younger sister assured him. "I wasn't even planning for what ended up happened today. I just...well..." She cut off, unable to meet his eyes.</p><p>Before he could try to press her on again, he heard a pleasantly melodious but thickly accented voice call on him from behind in the common tongue. "I guess what she is trying to say is that she didn't plan to realize today that she was also very attracted to women."</p><p>Jon raised an eyebrow, already contemplating that possibility but deciding to turn around to face someone that might be willing to give him actual answers. The sight ended up making him swallow, however, for the woman before him was certainly gorgeous and unlike his sister, she had not decided to reach for her clothes.</p><p>
  
</p><p>And she actually smirked at him when her gaze moved from his face to his crotch. "My goodness Arya, you never told me that your brother was so handsome," She declared in a teasing tone.</p><p>"Bellegere!" Arya shouted in a scandalized tone.</p><p>"What?" She asked innocently, her left hand moving lower to caress her pussy lips slowly. "I am merely speaking the truth. And I am sure you must have noticed."</p><p>"Well, sure, but...he is my brother!" The Northern woman complained.</p><p>The famed courtesan shrugged. "You would be surprised at how many pairs of brothers and sisters enter this establishment at different hours of the day so that they can fuck each other in secret at some point, a handful of times with my help, even. Not really my place to judge, so I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to have some fun with him, especially if you let me watch."</p><p>Arya inhaled sharply at the blatant suggestion and Jon had to admit he couldn't stop a powerful mental image from going to his head. But then he shook it, trying to push the unnecessary thoughts away.</p><p>"We are in a hurry," The young king proclaimed. "I arrived on my dragon but the city is on high alert now and..."</p><p>"Your WHAT?!" The two women asked at the same time.</p><p>Jon rubbed his forehead, deciding he was going to need to explain to them some things before they could leave.</p><p><em>"Better go with a quick version though,"</em> He thought to himself.</p><hr/><p>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Iron Bank's Headquarters: Free City of Braavos</strong>
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</p><p>Tycho Nestoris, one of the most influential servants of the Iron Bank of Braavos, was concerned. He had just returned from his trip to Westeros 3 days earlier, which was considerably more profitable than it had any right to be, given that Stannis Baratheon ended up dying before he could take back his throne and start paying back the debt that was owed to the Iron Bank by the government of the Seven Kingdoms. At least the Night's Watch and the only known bastard of Lord Eddard Stark were good at business. Their collateral of century-spanning hardwoods and ivory from mammoth bones &amp; tusks were worth their weight in gold on Braavos and well worth the loan delivered.</p><p>Given the circumstances, he had left the North honestly hoping that Jon Snow would succeed in his quest to retake Winterfell from House Bolton. He certainly seemed like someone they could establish a profitable partnership with, and he had an air of honor about him that was taken as excellent by his banking peers when it came to easing their minds that what was due to them would be eventually paid.</p><p>However, right now, he was less focused on his recent dealings and more worried about the safety of the city that birthed him, for he had also heard the mighty roars and confirmed the sighting of a dragon from the window of his office.</p><p>Still, he decided there might not be that much reason for panic. If it was Daenerys Targaryen, then Braavos would be safe from her most disruptive and violent activities since they are the only Free City that was founded on the basis of never allowing slavery to flourish within its borders. And he imagined she would be intelligent enough to come and seek an audience with the Iron Bank so that they can back her up in her quest to retake her father's throne.</p><p>In fact, they had already previously received a message that was sent a fortnight earlier on but by the so-called little birds of one of her inner circle, the one-time Spy Master of the Small Council of King's Landing: Varys, the former Master of Whispers. He was reportedly asking for a loan to be turned into a fleet that could be quickly constructed in their fabled Arsenal and assured them that they would see a quick return in their investments after the Dragon Queen would retake her birthright.</p><p>His fellow servants ended up agreeing while he was away that it was in their best interest to start building up that fleet and then wait for his own arrival so that they could hear news about Stannis before deciding what to do. When he had informed them of his downfall, however, it was unanimously agreed to back her up and they have already sent the first fleet of a dozen ships, that were finished in their Arsenal by then on their way to Meereen.</p><p>As he sat there waiting in his office though, he was snapped out of his thoughts by the sudden entrance of the bank's guards. Tycho straightened and focused on them from his desk.</p><p>
  
</p><p>"Well then, what news from the city?" He asked with curiosity in his tone.</p><p>The leading guard took a deep breath and opened his mouth. "The dragon has fired a few...warning shots, I guess you could say but he hasn't actually killed anyone or damaged anything. After a few soldiers at the top of the Titan panicked and fired arrows and scorpion bolts at it, it flew out of range of even our best ballistae. However, it has remained flying atop the city, near the Canal of Heroes."</p><p>"I see," Tycho Nestoris said as he interlocked his fingers. "Any word from Daenerys Targaryen or any of her representatives?"</p><p>The guard paused at that, clearly uncomfortable, which in turn made the representative of the Iron Bank stare. "Well?" He repeated.</p><p>"We...actually don't know if it's the involvement of the Dragon Queen that we are talking about here," The captain of the guard admitted. "That dragon is blue, unlike the ones we have heard she has. And more importantly...it's shooting ice out of its jaws, not fire."</p><p>The servant's eyes widened at that piece of information. "An Ice Dragon from the Shivering sea? By all the gods, what is such a beast doing here?"</p><p>"We don't know," The guard replied, uneasy. "But according to a messenger that came as fast as he could from the Titan itself, the dragon clearly had a male rider astride it. As for what he wants, sir, you guess is as good as mine."</p><p>The keyholder did NOT like what he was hearing. It sounded like too much of a dangerous wild card. "Anything else?" He forced himself to ask.</p><p>"Yes," The captain said with a nod. "The Faceless men sent word. Apparently, there are many of them in the city right now and they will be spreading around sites of great importance across Braavos in case the dragon starts attacking. Some of them are on their way to the Iron Bank itself right now."</p><p>That bit of knowledge did reassure him. Their fearsome bank's reputation has long been linked with the Faceless men in more ways than one and for accurate reasons in some cases, even if representatives like him do not usually admit it. The protection of the second to none order of assassins would be worth much in the hours to come with such a mighty, living war machine this close to their roofs.</p><p>"Let them do as they wish when they come in," Tycho instructed. "Their aid will be invaluable if things get ugly with this dragon. Dismissed."</p><p>The captain of the guard nodded and headed outside. Then the keyholder went to the window and looked for the powerful creature, wondering what exactly will the day have in store for him.</p><hr/><p>After Jon was done explaining his summarized side of the story, Arya had a wide-eyed look on her face. Still, Jon told her to hold most of her questions for later, because they really needed to go before things escalated with his dragon outside. By that point, however, Bellegere had already dressed herself and informed them that she would lead them through a less frequently used exit of the Happy Port brothel that goes through an adjacent blacksmithing workshop so as to minimize their chances of being seen.</p><p>At first, Jon didn't really want to involve her but one look of sad pleading from Arya made him give in with a sigh.</p><p><em>"Lovers it is then,"</em> Jon thought to himself.<em> "We really do have much to talk about later."</em></p><p>They carried the chest with the dragon egg since Arya would now have other means to get out of the city aside from a ship and climbed down the stairs through a different route than the frontal one. Before long, the Black Pearl opened a door and they entered the workshop.</p><p>It didn't take them long to frown. "Where is everyone?" Jon asked in suspicion.</p><p>Bellegere looked around, confusion on her face. "I don't know but the blast furnace is still producing a lot of fire so the blacksmiths were here not too long ago. Maybe they left in a hurry to see the dragon?"</p><p>"Or maybe, they were driven away by another omen of death," Said a female voice from the opposite side of the room.</p><p>The three of them turned in unison and Jon spotted a young woman with a harsh look on her face and a knife in her right hand.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Arya glared at her immediately. "You!"</p><p>"Not me," She replied with a scowl. "No one. Something you never seemed to be able to get through that thick head of yours."</p><p>"Who is she, Arya?" Jon demanded to know.</p><p>"She is another acolyte from the House of Black and White," Arya replied, her expression tensing when she realized she had just made Bellegere gasp with that information. "She has had it out for me from the start."</p><p>"And with good reason, it seems," She asked as she got closer to a large sack beside her. "Did you really thought I wouldn't be watching you while the rest of the order deliberated on recent events? Did you really thought you could sabotage a contract that was offered in good faith by a supplicant to the Many-Faced God and just walk away without consequences?"</p><p>She pointed the knife at her and Jon urged his dragon through their bond to come close to their location at that moment, his own strong hand getting closer to <em>Longclaw</em> on his belt. "It took a while to find someone that could read and write in the common tongue so that I could translate the words of those mutes but eventually I found out that you sought to steal a dragon egg payment that was offered to the god of death. You have betrayed our order and the only punishment for that is a gruesome death."</p><p>"Do your worst," Arya challenged, her voice low and threatening as she gripped a knife of her own that she had told him she picked up from the temple before leaving days earlier.</p><p>The acolyte actually smirked at that, her expression fierce. "As you wish."</p><p>And with that, she opened the sack beside her and Jon inhaled sharply when he saw Needle, the sword he had given Arya as a gift all those years ago. Getting a terrible feeling immediately, he realized he wasn't going to be able to wait for his dragon to scare her off because when their enemy threw the pointy blade into the blast furnace to melt it, Arya was already in motion, a scream of rage on her lips.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, the Waif has entered the scene now, and boy, did she made Arya PISSED. </p><p>Hope you like the chapter! And expecting to read your thoughts soon, if at all possible. Gotta add fuel to my creative fires while I am busy so that I can come back with a vengeance and all that.</p><p>Until next time.</p>
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<a name="section0059"><h2>59. The Calm before the Snowstorm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, here I am with the next chapter. And we are also back with Sansa at Ironrath this time. Yeah, I know you all want me to continue where that cliffhanger left off and we will get there soon enough, but we hadn't had a Sansa centric chapter in a while now (over 20 chapters ago, in fact) and there were some things I wanted to take care off and highlight on their side of the world before Jon returns from Braavos. For now, I hope you enjoy this temporary detour and it leaves you hyped for the possibilities in store. Oh, and I hope you enjoy the new map. Took a while to edit it to my satisfaction.</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="chapter-content">
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    <strong> <em>Ironrath: The North</em> </strong>
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  <p>Sansa Stark sighed in contentment as the small feast ended and people started going their separate ways. She had gathered with the members of House Forrester to celebrate the birth of Lord Rodrick's firstborn son with his wife, Elaena Glenmore. Apparently, the poor woman had gotten pregnant early on during the siege and as the food rationing in Ironrath continued to become a problem, they had started worrying about her health, which is why it became common for some of the members of the House to willingly surrender a portion of their day's rations to her. But when Sansa's army smashed the forces of House Whitehill and the siege was broken, they readily shared from their own supplies, which were much enlarged once the new mother's Lord father arrived with his own bannermen and as much of their winter storage as could be spared.</p>
  <p>And so, with her health improving and not having to remain mentally taxed by the siege, Elaena Glenmore gave birth to a beautiful baby boy that morning and joy started filling the keep. Lord Rodrick couldn't contain his happiness and order the cooks to prepare a small feast for family and close friends so that they could celebrate the occasion but not that big so as to preserve more of their supplies for their loyal supporters.</p>
  <p>The redhead had certainly agreed with his line of thought, especially in light of the news Jon shared with her through their mental bond that explained House Bolton seemed to be rallying their banner to hunt them down. She had informed them of the vital piece of information while disguising it as a message from White Harbor and also explained that House Manderly and the Knights of the Vale will arrive in the coming days but perhaps not before Ramsay's attack.</p>
  <p>To that, Asher Forrester hardened his gaze and raised his glass of wine vowing that they will hold the line against the Bolton scum for as long as needed until reinforcements arrive.</p>
  <p>"The Whitehills couldn't break us for a whole year!" He had boasted. "With our combined forces, I am sure we will manage to resist for a few more days."</p>
  <p>Everyone drank to that and renewed their verbal commitment to their cause as Sansa smiled. Before long, the new mother had arrived at the feast now that she recovered her energy and kissed her husband passionately before sitting down, her expression glowing for the rest of the celebration.</p>
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  <p>Sansa had sighed deeply at that, feeling longing in her heart as she stared at the happy couple. She really couldn't wait to settle down with Jon and start bearing his children, even if she wouldn't be his only wife.</p>
  <p><em>"Regardless, I understand with perfect clarity that I will always have a special place in his heart,"</em> The redhead had thought with conviction as she imagined her brother's handsome face.</p>
  <p>Eventually, the feast died down and she went to the privy and to freshen up. By the time she returned, the main tables of their great hall were empty.</p>
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  <p>However, soon enough, Lyanna Mormont entered the hall as well, just as she had expected. The short Lady approached her and bowed slightly.</p>
  <p>"You sent for me, my Lady?" She asked.</p>
  <p>"I did," Sansa said. "You see, I received another message from Jon. As you know by now, my brother Robb legitimized him and named him his heir, which he learned from the Blackfish and my uncle Edmure in the Riverlands. That's why he stayed a while longer chasing away the Lannister forces astride his dragon: now he has become the king of not only the North, but the Trident. However...he recently learned something that will be of great significance to you."</p>
  <p>The courageous young ruler of Bear Island raised an eyebrow at that. "What did he learn then?"</p>
  <p>The Lady of Winterfell in exile took a deep breath. "That your mother is still alive."</p>
  <p>For a long moment, Lyanna Mormont said nothing as the wood crackled in the hearth. Then without any change in her tone or her facial expression, she asked her the obvious question.</p>
  <p>"Apparently she has been staying as the secret guest of Howland Reed in Greywater Watch since she was one of the last living witnesses that saw Robb legitimization ceremony," Sansa explained. "As her late king had asked her to protect the copies of his will with her life but the North had shifted into Bolton hands, with no known Starks in the North to rally behind for quite a while, your mother and Howland had been patiently watching the situation from the shadows, waiting for the right moment of weakness in House Bolton to spread the copies far and wide. The time has finally come now that Jon and I have rallied our forces and he has tamed an Ice Dragon but, unfortunately, before that became clear, it was simply safer for Bear Island to let their people and you believe that she was dead."</p>
  <p>"I see," Lyanna responded in a ponderous tone.</p>
  <p>Then she sighed deeply. "I am very glad to hear that she is alive but I must say, I feel more than a little angry as well. I thought I was the last one left of my line and I never expected to become the one needed to step up and rule Bear Island. There would have been times where I could have really used her counsel and this secret denied me of that. Still, it will be good to see her again. Do you know where she is now?"</p>
  <p>"According to Jon, he sent her and her last remaining soldiers from Bear Island to reinforce the Riverlords at Seagard so that they can besiege the Twins," The redhead explained. "I would imagine she is actually quite eager at the prospect of helping keep the Freys cowering like the rats they are while surrounded on all sides."</p>
  <p>At that, the young Lady actually chuckled. "I would certainly bet on it. Thank you for bringing this pleasant news to my attention, Lady Stark. Given the dark times we have had to endure recently, that was much appreciated. If you'll please excuse me."</p>
  <p>And with that, Sansa became the only one left in the hall again. So, she turned around and headed outside.</p>
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  <p>Before long, she made her way outside the walls, entering the camp that was made for their soldiers that couldn't be properly housed inside Ironrath. Soldiers nodded their respect as she mingled with the men and she smiled back, understanding it was good for morale for military leaders to walk side by side with their supporters. Eventually, Lady and Ghost found her and the Lady of Winterfell in exile proceeded to pet them with affection in her gaze, happy to see the Direwolf packmates together again.</p>
  <p>Eventually, they followed her around as she walked to the makeshift training area of the camp. There, many, many spearwives were training with the new steel weapons Jon bought from Lord Harlaw, with the other groups of men among the Free Folk close behind. Some of them were clearly enjoying themselves more than others depending on who won their bouts but all were trying to improve their skills.</p>
  <p>Then Sansa tilted her head in a different direction and raised an eyebrow when she saw Val. The gorgeous woman had put on armor that mixed chain mail with hardened leather and she had a sword sheathed at her side. Over there, with the wind blowing her blonde locks and her confident gaze as she watched the performance of her loyal spearwives, she looked every inch the warrior princess she was aspiring to be.</p>
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  <p>Before long, she turned around and noticed her approach with a smile. "Ah, Lady Stark. Good to see you here. Getting bored with the formalities of the keep and decided to come mingle with us Free Folk?"</p>
  <p>Sansa chuckled. "Something like that. To be honest, there is only so much protocol one can take during the day and at any rate, I wanted to see the progress your people were making with their training."</p>
  <p>"Well, then you will be pleased to hear that my people are certainly applying their previous skills to these steel weapons quite well," Val assured her. "Most of them already know how to fight to varying degrees, of course, but the mayority have been satisfied with the supplies. They are definitely of a much better quality than what they are used to. So, don't you worry, soon enough they will stain them with treacherous Bolton blood."</p>
  <p>Sansa smirked. "I am glad to hear that."</p>
  <p>They stayed quiet for a while after that, watching the fierce men and women spar together by the hundreds. In the distance, the redhead could also see some of them trying their new bows on some makeshift target made of lumber. Eventually, however, the new Princess of the Free Folk turned to look at her with a ponderous expression. Sansa frowned.</p>
  <p>"What is it?"</p>
  <p>"It's just that I have been meaning to ask you something but it is a bit of a personal question and I don't want you to take it the wrong way," The blonde said.</p>
  <p>Sansa shrugged. "I wouldn't worry too much. We hadn't really had a chance to get to know each other well since we first meet and it seems we will be working together in more ways than one for the foreseeable future. So, it's probably a good idea to start."</p>
  <p>Val paused at that but nodded soon enough. "Well then, here it goes. I have heard a few rumors about what you had to endure at that sadist's hand. I also overheard some of the men from Bear Island that apparently knew guests that were allowed to go to your...well, dark wedding," She added with a sympathetic tone. "And that made me wonder, why did you even agree to go back to Winterfell with whoever it was that accompanied you, knowing that this was the family that plotted to end yours?"</p>
  <p>Sansa stayed silent for a long moment at that, gathered her thoughts for a careful response. But when she was ready, her gaze was resolute. "A fair question. The answer is a long one but, basically, I was growing tired of remaining a bystander to tragedy," The Lady of Winterfell in exile declared. "Horrific things had happened to my family by that point and I no longer wanted to mourn them by weeping in a dark and lonely room. I loved them all and wanted to honor the memory of those I had lost. But first, I needed to avenge their deaths. And since my quest lead me to Winterfell, I could have eventually managed to get it and reclaim my home with one blow, if I planned it right."</p>
  <p>The Princess of the Free Folk stared at her, a look of respect on her face. "That I can most certainly understand. And even terrible experiences have a way of making us grow for the better, as we learn to overcome adversity."</p>
  <p>"Indeed," The highborn redhead said in agreement. "Besides, even though that plan didn't ultimately worked out after Stannis Baratheon lost to the Boltons, I still manage to make my way to my dear brother, who I have missed so much. Together, we have managed to rally so much support in so little time. So, I am proud of what we have accomplished thus far and I know we will succeed in time. And soon enough, Ramsay will finally know fear while I stare down at him, which will make all the pain I suffered at his hands worth it in the end."</p>
  <p>Val smiled fiercely. "I think we are going to get along just fine, Lady Sansa. But now, since I have asked you a personal question, feel free to ask me one in turn."</p>
  <p>The redhead smiled back at her as she considered in silence. Then she tilted her head with curiosity in her gaze.</p>
  <p>"Why exactly has motivated you to become the Princess of the Free Folk?" Sansa asked. "I imagine there is a story there."</p>
  <p>"Hmmm," The blonde hummed. "You are not wrong. It's true that Mance had started grooming me for command after his son died along with my sister at childbirth. And I certainly tried my best to become more skilled at everything I thought I would need to earn the respect of my people, especially with the Spearwives. However, my connection to the last King Beyond the Wall is not the only reason gaining leadership has meant so much to me."</p>
  <p>Then the Princess visibly hesitated for a moment, before shrugging and unsheathed her sword. Sansa raised an eyebrow when she realized it looked like castle-forged steel but that it was clearly much, much older than anything Lord Harlaw would have ordered to produce before selling it to them.</p>
  <p>"Free Folk families don't usually have much in the way of inheritance in the lands beyond the wall," Val began. "It's usually hard enough to survive as it is. However, this steel sword has been in my family for over 150 years, passed on to the best fighter of the generation that survived to adulthood. In my fifteen nameday, it was my turn to claim it and Dalla didn't argue since she knew I was a much better fit for our ancestral blade. And you see, this sword right here? It was once used by my great-great-great-great-great grandfather, the previous King Beyond the Wall that was known to history as Bael the Bard," She explained, a note of pride in her voice.</p>
  <p>Sansa gasped at that, remembering songs she had heard in her childhood. "You descend from THAT King Beyond the wall? But he had ended up taking the only daughter and heir of Lord Brandon Stark as a lover and had a child with her. My own family line comes from him too! That would mean..."</p>
  <p>Val chuckled, amused by her reaction. "Yes, I suppose that means I share a bit of blood with you Starks, since the daughter Bael had with his own Free Folk wife would have been the half-sister of his Lord of a son. Shame their story ended in violence of course, but at least we have the chance to do things better and actually get along in this generation."</p>
  <p>Sansa nodded slowly, her eyes widening as she realized what this could mean for her incestuous god of a brother, both for their plans to overcome the resurrection block and for their desire to make the future settlement of the Free Folk south of the Wall work. Then she blinked.</p>
  <p>"I think you may be right, Princess Val. We will probably get along just fine."</p>
  <p>Then she failed to contain her blush after the smiling blonde looked away. <em>"And in more ways than one too,"</em> She thought to herself.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, there you go with that reveal XD Yep, I am making it so that in this alternate universe, Val descends from King Bael the Bard. And as Sansa notes, that has some heavy implications in this sort of story XD</p><p>Hope you enjoyed it. I will post the continuation of the plotline in Braavos as soon as I can. Until then, please leave a comment down below. </p><p>See ya!</p>
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<a name="section0060"><h2>60. Internal and External Clashes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the delay. I know I have kind of spoiled you with so many quick updates in close succession Xd my fault of course but well, Thanksgiving and Black Friday made it harder to update. Anyway, hope you like it!</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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</p><p>Arya Stark saw red as her hated, former rival among the acolytes of the Faceless Men discarded Needle to be melted like useless junk. That metallic gift had been her last anchor to her family in the very worst days of her life, even when her original identity seemed to start fading away as she stayed longer and longer at the House of Black and White.</p><p>Her precious weapon had been the only thing she was unable to give up for the Many-Faced God as she began her training. As Arya had thought to herself when she realized she couldn't throw it to the bottom of the lagoon, "Needle was Robb and Bran and Rickon and mother and father and even Sansa. Needle was Jon Snow's smile."</p><p>And while she had had the pleasure of watching her half-brother's smile today, she will never get to see most of her family smile again now that they are dead. That was why Arya screamed in rage and rushed towards this Waif with her hidden knife in hand, fury crystal clear across her thunderous expression.</p><p>However, her enemy had obviously been expecting that because before she could connect a single blow, she grabbed a large wooden staff like the ones they used to spar that was probably kept behind the wall to her right and smashed her legs with it through her superior reach. Arya groaned in pain as she landed flat on her back, her head suddenly dizzy but her knife still clutched to her strong, left hand.</p><p>"Pathetic," Her enemy said with a scowl. "I knew you were going to fall for it but still, very disappointing. I don't know what our mentor ever saw in you."</p><p>Before she could try to stab her with her own short blade, however, the Northern woman heard a sword being unsheathed and then grinned, remembering she wasn't alone this time.</p><p>"I have come a long way for my sister," Jon said from behind her, his voice cold and lethal. "And no one, not the soldiers of Braavos, nor that colossal Titan nor the Faceless assassins this city is infamous for will keep me from her. Walk away from her right now or you will have to find out the hard way that your little stick will not even slow down my Valyrian Steel blade as it cuts you open, do you hear me?"</p><p>For a moment, Waif actually paused at that, slight uncertainty on her eyes. She clearly had not expected her sibling to come to her rescue when she decided to come to kill her and had not prepared accordingly as a result. But soon enough, she stood straighter on the firm cobblestone floor.</p><p>"I have no quarrel with you but she betrayed our order," The acolyte replied in a harsh tone. "The Many-Faced God demands her name."</p><p>Jon scoffed, his tone sounding skeptical, more than a little angered and...slightly amused? Arya blinked when she turned back to look at him as she rose to stand during the lull in the fighting. They hadn't seen each other in a while but the Northern woman was sure that she was definitely a hint of amusement on her brother's face.</p><p>"Then, we shall see if your Many-Faced God will get what he wants or if he will be denied," Jon replied before rushing forward with his blade raised.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Hidden in the rooftops that lead to the Blacksmithing workshop below, the temporarily elected leader of the Faceless Men that was wearing the face of Jaqen H'ghar was thinking that fate had a twisted sense of humor. Once the other acolyte had come to inform her of what Arya Stark had done, the servant had said that it was such a pity that she had betrayed them for the girl had many gifts. Unfortunately, stealing offerings to the Many-Faced God as an acolyte was high treason to their order and as such, he had authorized the taller woman, that only referred to herself as the Waif when he had first found her, to execute the girl who was clearly not no one.</p><p>He himself dared not waste time with that now that the order was trying to guard the city of Braavos against the sudden appearance of that blue dragon. However, on the way to the Titan of Braavos himself with the small group of the Faceless that he was leading, the saw the dragon start changing directions, and then it started hovering near the Happy Port as if searching for a big enough opening to land but failing to spot it. So, he changed directions with his group of assassins and ran through the rooftops in order to keep the beast in sight.</p><p>When they reached the roofs of the blacksmithing shop, however, was when he finally realized that fate was probably trying to amuse itself as he recognized the man that was fighting his acolyte.</p><p><em>"The resurrected man from the visions that the Many-Faced God granted me,"</em> The man once known as Jaqen H'ghar thought in dawning realization. <em>"Given the connection of the visions, this insult to the god of death must have become the rider of the dragon above us."</em></p><p>Then his eyes actually widened a little when he heard the girl shout at the acolyte to stay away from her brother while slashing her right shoulder with a knife throw.</p><p>"Definitely a divine sign of sorts," The leader of the servants muttered as he shook his head. "Too much of a coincidence otherwise."</p><p>Then he turned to the group behind him, hidden from the sight of the people below. "Prepare your tools of worship. That dragon will burst in through the building the second we injure its rider. Get ready."</p><p>They nodded simultaneously and set out to work on their grim task.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>"You...little...!" The acolyte cursed as Arya made her bleed, outrage in her tone.</p><p>However, if Jon had expected the wound to slow her down, he was sorely disappointed. Reacting like a cornered beast, the young woman maneuvered her staff with such strength and intensity that the new king ended up dropping his <em>Longclaw</em> when she managed to hit his hands. Then, she removed the knife from her shoulder and turned to Arya, glaring at her for a moment before throwing it at her.</p><p>Jon gasped at that in the middle of rushing towards his blade but then he sighed in relief when, unexpectedly, Bellegere pushed Arya out of the way. The blade still managed to nick Arya on the side of her arm instead of hitting her directly in the chest but she would be fine.</p><p><em>"But she could have easily not been,"</em> Jon thought with growing anger, realizing that his sister had been mere inches from death's grip while under his watch.</p><p>Glaring at the enemy that made it her mission to slay them, Jon forgot about Longclaw and ran towards her, punching her square in the stomach with the giant-sized strength he had absorbed from Wun Wun.</p><p>The assassin in training had already puked blood hard before her back even hit the ground, her face an unmistakable mask of agony. But she was still conscious enough to spit at him when she approached.</p><p>"My...death...doesn't change anything," She declared with a harsh tone, in between gasps of air. "I already informed the order of your little sister's betrayal. They will never stop hunting you now. The Many...Faced...God...will have your names."</p><p>Jon stared at the woman that had tried her hardest to butcher his little sister as she delivered such dangerous news with glee, making his own expression furious. Suddenly, he felt something he doesn't normally allow himself to experience: the desire to kick an unrepentant enemy while they are down. However, just doing that physically didn't feel appropriate enough in this situation, not with her smirk of delight, probably believing that her Death God will soon be picking her up as a valued champion.</p><p>Then, in a moment of dark inspiration, he had it. And before he could even try to stop himself or consider the implications, Jon used his powers.</p><p><em>"I wish Arya and this woman before me would understand with perfect clarity what it is I have become,"</em> He thought.</p><p>And just like that, the dying acolyte's smirk faded away as a mask of shock and despair crossed her features. "What...? But...then...death god...you are not...alone...or...maybe...even...real...but...no!...how...?"</p><p>She coughed out more blood, her eyes wider than he had ever seen. Then she actually started to tear up, fear finally visible in her arrogant face. "Please forgive me...God...of...Incest," She whispered with a small voice, that Jon knew only he had heard.</p><p>Then she closed her eyes, and her neck went stiff as her arms fell to the side.</p><p>Jon stared at her now lifeless corpse, feeling increasingly disturbed at what he had just done. But then, he sensed a hesitant hand on his shoulder. He swallowed as he remembered the requirement to make that last wish work and turned around to face his little sister, a look of abundant confusion on her wide-eyed face.</p><p>Before he could even begin to explain himself, however, a jar was thrown from the roof to the open blast furnace that was still melting what was left of Needle. Jon looked around in alarm and saw several robed men readying weapons against them. One of them took a step forward and took a good, long look at him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>"So, you are the famous Jon Snow," He said in a neutral tone. "It is time for the Faceless Men to remind you that one cannot cheat death...not forever."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And there you go. I know it was a shorter one than usual compared to what I have produced as of late, but again, I have been busy. Still, I hope you liked the chapter. Will try to post again as soon as I can. Until then, feel free to leave your thoughts down below.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0061"><h2>61. Into the Jaws of No One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, here I am. Sorry for the delay. I had a very busy week working as I dealt with the aftermath of Black Friday. Technically, I still am but I really wanted to continue so I made some time to update. Anyway, hope you enjoy the 60th chapter.</p><p>As always, please read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>Shallan Ravad, High Priestess of the Temple of the Moonsingers, was running as fast as her legs could carry her. She had spotted the dragon staying mostly above the Happy Port sector as if looking for a place to land so she imagined its rider was there. In her hands was a small chest, carrying a century-spanning scroll within. Normally, she would have been concerned about openly carrying around the original copy of one of their major prophecies and one so dear to her heart at that but, even if most of the city wasn't focusing on the skies above, people gave the high priestess a wide berth.</p><p>Her escort of Faceless Men made sure of that.</p><p>"Are you sure about this?" One of the group's members asked her, his deep eyes looking older than the handsome, young face around them.</p><p>Shallan tilted her head to look at him but barely slowed down in her pace. "No, I am not completely sure but that behemoth is firing frost-flame, it has a rider and no Ice Dragon had ever traveled to Braavos before. That makes the rider a major candidate to our Moonsinger prophecy at the very least. Do you really want to risk killing them before we are as sure as we can be that they are the ones we have been waiting for?"</p><p>The shapeshifting assassin grew quiet at that for a moment, then hesitated before shaking his head.</p><p>"I can't believe we didn't consider that possibility when our order gathered together to discuss the recent visions on the House of Black and White," He said solemnly. "It seems we were too focused on the more insulting resurrections we learn about and of their implications."</p><p>Shallan took a deep breath, understanding that, under normal circumstances, her Faceless escort wouldn't have revealed such information about their secretive order to her. But these were far from normal circumstances.</p><p>For it seems the Moonsinger prophecy that was witnessed and recorded by one of the first Faceless Men before the Doom of Valyria was starting to unfold. And she thanked every aspect of the moon for helping her convince the members of the order that were sent to guard her temple to follow her once she explained things to them.</p><p>After all, she suspected she would need their help to convince their brethren to stand down long enough to plead her case.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Jon Stark stared right back at the older Faceless Man that just threatened his life as the implications hit him.</p><p>"How did you know that I managed to return from the dead?" Jon demanded to know.</p><p>The assassin crossed his arms. "The Many-Faced God does not appreciate getting cheated out of a rightful kill," He proclaimed. "Between that and somehow managing to claim another dragon, it is evident that our death god wants us to return you to the grave. You shall not herald the return of those blasphemous White Walkers, do you hear me?"</p><p>The young king's eyes widened. "What? Wait, no, you have it backwards..."</p><p>Suddenly, he got stabbed in the back of the neck by a dart thrown from afar, making him flinch.</p><p>"Enough talk," The Braavosi said, his voice cold. "Let's see for how long you can fight with wolfsbane coursing through your veins."</p><p>Jon started feeling enormous pain from the high dose of toxins even before he had finished talking, and Arya shouted his name in alarm as he started to shake a bit. </p><p>"Jaqen!" She screamed. "I know I let you down but please don't do this!"</p><p>Thankfully, he had an easy solution for that problem.</p><p><em>"I wish poisons wouldn't affect Arya and me in any negative way,"</em> He said mentally as he willed power into his words.</p><p>In an instant, the pain was gone and the secret god smirked as he stood straighter. "For as long as I need to," He declared.</p><p>After a long moment passed and he didn't drop still, the assassin before him actually looked surprised. Before long, however, his expression turned sour.</p><p>"So, you are sorcerer on top of an abomination," He said with narrowed eyes. "You have more than one way to cheat, it seems. But it still won't save you."</p><p>Suddenly, part of the roof started collapsing to the empty floor some distance behind them, and Jon chuckled when he realized he heard his mighty she-dragon roar.</p><p>"You were saying?" He asked with confidence in his tone.</p><p>When the assassin's first response was only to raise one hand to the air, the young king raised an eyebrow. But then yet another jar was thrown to the fiery blast furnace by one of the assassins in his group. </p><p>And to a man, the Faceless assassins stared at the eyes of the Ice Dragon and started to move in concert.</p><p>First, two of the trained killers facing each other across the gap between the rooftops hammered a large iron nail to the center point of their respective section. Then, one of the men behind the one his sister had called Jaqen reveled a black-boned bow from the inside of his robes and Jon gasped when he realized that meant it was made of dragonbone, thereby making it one of the rare bows that produced more powerful shots than the famous goldenheart bows of the Summer Islanders. He quickly let loose an arrow made of the same material and this one actually perforated one of his dragon's shoulders, making her yowl. </p><p>Before she could retaliate with frost-flame however Jaqen punched him in the forehead while he was distracted with a hand that carried metallic rings in every finger, and pushed him directly in front of the archer while disoriented. At the sight of her wounded rider, the Ice Dragon hesitated and closed her jaws before her stream of frost could flow. </p><p>And that must have been all part of their plan, Jon realized, because then some of the assassins emerged from the shadows with a long iron chain that they must have found in the blacksmith shop and after muttering something in another language that Jon could barely focus enough to hear, the assassin stabbed his own upper chest with another dragonbone arrow and, unless strong punch was making him hallucinate, the entire bow glowed red for a moment. </p><p>Then he blinked as he got drowsy. <em>"That Faceless archer is also a wizard of some sort,"</em> He thought, feeling strangely drunk as blood trickled down his face.</p><p>He had barely started contemplating that line of thought when he fired the blood-soaked arrow through the hole in the chain...and it carried the large iron links with a speed and strength that shouldn't have been possible as the trajectory twisted along with the archer's eyes.</p><p>By the time Jon had blinked the blood out of his eyes, his Ice dragon's torso was covered in metallic chains. And while he stumbled to get up they finished the process of nailing two more iron chains from the rooftops to the increasingly restrained dragon below, her roars of outrage echoing across the canal.</p><p>Jon fell down on his knees once more and looked around in disbelief, unable to understand how this happened so quickly. Then, he turned around and...saw Arya and Bellgere passed out on the floor.</p><p>And it hit him.</p><p>"What...what was in those jars you hurl to the fire?" He forced himself to ask, gasping.</p><p>Jaqen got down to one knee so that he could look him in the eyes on a leveled footing. "A concentrated form of milk of the poppy," He replied. "We are trained to resist its effects of course, but once it burns for long enough through smoke, most in the area start falling into a deep, deep sleep. And ah, as you can see it's starting to affect your dragon too," The assassin noted, sounding slightly pleased. </p><p>Jon turned around and stared at his winged companion and realized he was right, her struggles had become far less frantic and her eyelids started to look visibly heavy. </p><p>The secret god was trying to concentrate on a wish that might be able to get him out of this dangerous predicament but he simply couldn't focus on his thoughts long enough to form coherent sentences. And his confusion ended when he remembered that the milk of the poppy was technically a form of medicine, not a poison, which is why its negative effects in excess are still affecting him. </p><p>He tried to reach for <em>Longclaw</em> but the Valyrian steel blade felt too heavy in his hands for once and he dropped it, the drowsiness in his mind increasing. His eyes remained open long enough to see Jaqen withdraw a dagger from his sleeve but then he collapsed. </p><p>Distantly, almost as an echo, he heard a woman's voice yell with the sound of authority, demanding the assassins stopped. But he couldn't focus any more after that, as he was claimed by darkness. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, as they say, God is in the details and it seems Jon should have been more detailed with the one wish he made in this chapter XD</p><p>Anyway, I will try to update when I can but for now, I hope you like it. More Moonsinger and Faceless Men revelations coming in the next few chapters. </p><p>Until then, feel free to leave your thoughts down below :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0062"><h2>62. Fellowship of Burdens</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello again. I am so sorry for the long wait but December turned out to be a very complicated month for me. My laptop was in need of repairs, my government announced that they were going to lock us up again indefinitely which made me want to work while I could to get some extra money and, of course, there were the holiday celebrations to enjoy. But I am back now and while it took longer than anticipated, I wanted to start the new year with a brand new chapter so I hope you enjoy it.</p><p>It's a bit...different. You will see why soon enough but long story shorts it has a few developments I am sure you'll find unexpected. All part of the set up for my future plans, I assure you. And good luck to my fellow fans that spot a few references :D</p><p>As always, read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>Sansa Stark was walking to the forges of Ironrath with Lady and Ghost escorting her the entire time. She bit her lower lip as she stared at the frenzy of activity from the outside as the blacksmiths worked overtime even with all the additional help and volunteers they received once the siege was lifted. But while she tried to appear composed on the outside, she was getting increasingly concerned in silence.</p><p>The Lady of Winterfell in-exile had excused herself from the presence of Princess Val shortly after their enlightening conversation and as soon as she could, she found a more quiet place inside the walls where she wouldn't be interrupted suddenly so that she could open up her new mental link and speak with her beloved brother. However, when she tried to inform Jon that she had discovered that Val is actually his sixth cousin due to their shared ancestry with Bael the Bard, she was met only with silence.</p><p>At first, she just waited calmly, thinking he was a little too busy to respond. But as minutes grew longer and longer, so did her sense of dread. She wanted to tell herself that he was probably just asleep but then she remembered the infamous Faceless Men of Braavos and that Jon was planning to take Arya back from them. And while she tried to force herself to remain calm, she imagined that if anyone could kill a god in this world, it would be members of the greatest order of assassins in history. Still, she believed in Jon and while she was concerned, she knew it was still too early to panic. So, she decided to throw herself in the work of overseeing the progress that has been made by smiths.</p><p>It had been nearly a week now that she gathered with the Forresters and they tried to discuss where to focus their resources in preparation for the eventual battle with Ramsay's forces. In the end, it was agreed that while the Free Folk and the bannermen had enough weapons and supplies, the giants were another story when it came to armor. So, they meet with Chieftess Magash Char and an Old Tongue translator to discuss the situation.</p><p>In the end, it was unanimously agreed that they didn't have enough time to make full suits of armor for all the giant warriors but since Magash assured them that most giants have thick skin and strong bones that can stop arrows fired from short-bows, they decided to concentrate on making them helms to protect their faces since their eyes remained a weakness during the chaos of battle. To compliment the basic visored helms they were trying to churn out to fit their larger heads as fast as they could, the master craftsmen of House Forrester were making them thick ironwood shields so that they can offer an additional layer of protection while keeping their other arm free to grab their long war-hammers. Once it was decided to implement that plan, Sansa couldn't help but smirk because she was imagining the look on Ramsay when he stared at the horde of well-equipped giants rampaging towards him</p><p>And as she stared at the enormously tall creatures waiting in line for their helm or for the chance to get the measurements for their heads outside the forge, the redhead smiled lightly, since it got easier to visualize that yet again.</p><p>When she approached the entrance of the blacksmithing workshops, however, she had seen Asher Forrester as he made his exit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Apparently, he had had the same idea. Then, he spotted her and approached.</p><p>"My Lady," He said as his serious expression turned into a grin, bowing his head in the process. "I take it you also wanted to know how much progress has been made on these gigantic helms?"</p><p>"That I did," She replied with a polite nod.</p><p>"Well, in that case, know that things are progressing quite well, all things considered," The brother of the Lord of Ironrath assured her. "Given all the extra help the blacksmiths had received and all the metal we have gathered for them, they have managed to make almost 60 visored helms by now. To be honest, the rush has forced us to make them of much poorer quality than what we are used to delivering but well, they will still manage to stop most arrows and that's the important part."</p><p>"Indeed," Sansa responded in agreement. "Any news from our scouts?"</p><p>"As a matter of fact, yes," Asher said slowly. "Our patrol is escorting someone that claims to have worked as a servant of House Cerwyn. He claims to have important information for us. I was just about to head outside to greet them."</p><p>"In that case, I would like to accompany you, if you don't mind," The Lady of Winterfell in exile responded.</p><p>"Not at all, my Lady. Please follow me."</p><p>And with that they headed outside, wondering what news would come from Castle Cerwyn. Inside, however, Sansa sighed inwardly, hoping that her brother would answer her prayers and ease her fears soon.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jon Stark was surrounded by darkness. For a moment of dread, the ascended human wondered if he was dead yet again and that perhaps gods lack proper souls but Jon didn't feel dead and he had already been through that once so he was fairly certain he could tell the difference. He suspected he wasn't awake though but this didn't felt like an ordinary dream either, since he was lucid.</p><p>Suddenly, a bright, golden light erupted in front of him and Jon shielded his eyes in surprise, his senses overwhelmed. Briefly, he wondered, if the extremely powerful god that granted him his powers wanted to have a talk with him again but when the light finally seemed bearable, he blinked rapidly in confusion at the utterly unfamiliar sight before him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Even with his recent travels across the omniverse, Jon had never seen a creature even remotely similar to the one in front of him. It seemed like...a floating, magical being that resembled artistic symbols. And yet, while he could feel the power coming from it in waves, he didn't feel threatened. The light surrounding it filled him with a soothing embrace after that realization, which prompted him to take a few tentative steps closer. Slow musical chimes echoed within his mind and, though a word was not uttered, the King in the North and the Trident felt an assurance of safety.</p><p>"<strong>My promised one,</strong>" The male-sounding being said from an unseen mouth. "<strong>We meet at last.</strong>"</p><p>Jon frowned at that for a moment before his eyes widened once the realization hit him; the words of Red Priestess Melisandre surfacing in his mind. He swallowed.</p><p>"Are you...are you the Lord of Light?" He asked reverently.</p><p>What passed for eyes in the floating creature stared at him momentarily before responding. "<strong>That is one of my names, yes. Others know me as the Red God. Some also insist on calling me the God of Flame and Shadow, although I don't particularly like that one due to the misunderstood events that lead to that title being given to me. But if you wish to know how I prefer to be addressed, I much rather be called by my original name: R'hllor.</strong>"</p><p>"I...see," Jon said, still more than a little overwhelmed that he was meeting one of the ancient gods of his world. "Just to clarify, simply R'hllor then? Not Lord R'hllor or something like that?"</p><p>The musical chimes seemed to echo with melodious amusement as the tune shifted. "<strong>No need to be so formal. Especially considering that, now, it could be said that we are actually peers.</strong>"</p><p>Jon opened his mouth at that, only to close it again when he wasn't quite sure what to respond to that, even if it was accurate. In the end, however, he said the first thing that came to mind.</p><p>"I...didn't ask for it," He replied, his voice small. "Yes, I have come to prefer it and what it has entailed over simply dying through treachery but...it feels so overwhelming sometimes. And I am concerned that, by seeking to do things the hard way, I will let down so many people before the White Walkers are defeated...if we manage to win, that is," He added, looking down.</p><p>Abruptly, the tune of the melody changed again, this time bringing about a feeling of cascading calm. Jon looked back up slowly and felt nothing but empathy and understanding emanating from his fellow god.</p><p>"<strong>I must admit,</strong>" R'hllor began, "<strong>when I first felt the presence of the deity that choose to empower your ascension, I was very surprised. His powers were so vast that for a moment there I couldn't help but wonder if I was actually sensing the collective presence of a...mighty and titanic pantheon that I had not heard from in very many thousands of years. But no, it was a single god that decided to turn you into one.</strong>"</p><p>"<strong>As you can imagine,</strong>" He went on, "<strong>I had reason to be concerned. There hadn't been new godly arrivals to this world from beyond the stars since before your recorded history began and this one decided to meddle in our affairs by granting godhood one of its mortal inhabitants. And not just anyone either, but the very Prince Who Was Promised that I saw in my visions over 5,000 years ago.</strong>"</p><p>R'hllor grew silent at that, clearly seeking to give him a moment to digest that. Jon shook his head, thoughts whirling all around it at a fast pace. "So...it's true then? What your priestess, Melisandre, had said? I was to be the prophecied champion to defeat the resurgent Army of the Dead?"</p><p>The melody suddenly took a more solemn yet firm tone. "<b>Yes,</b>" The light-filled god confirmed. "<b>But as you can imagine, your ascension has altered the course of history and the precise future of certain prophecies, including that one. In fact, while you may not know it yet, new omens and prophecies have risen, fallen, and converged around you because the echoes of your new godhood were felt across the world and even all the way to the past. That is why some people with the spark of magic within them sensed the importance of such an event, even if they didn't get details. But some were more affected than others, especially Greenseers and other wizards that could partially foresee the future. You will learn more of those developments and how they now apply to you in due time but for now, I have two messages for you.</b>"</p><p>Jon remained quiet as he analyzed the ancient god's words and proceeded to let him speak. He didn't have to wait long.</p><p>"<b>First of all,</b>" R'hllor said, "<strong>Allow me to apologize. I took advantage of your dormant state from that concentrated form of milk of the poppy in order to read some of your thoughts and memories so that I could better understand what exactly happened to you. And also to see if the power might have destructively gone to your head.</strong> <b>That is why I want you to know that while I understand your feelings on the matter, I was quite pleased when I learned that you were imposing moral limits on yourself to avoid the corruptive nature that can come with your newfound powers and status. Most mortals wouldn't have that strength of will and it reinforces my beliefs that, had you never ascended, you would have still become the chosen champion that humanity would have needed. </b></p><p><b>"Yes, you have made some mistakes along the way," </b>He went on.<b> "And you will continue to make them while going down this harder path but knowing you still seek to save this world and its peoples while unifying them with a worthy cause to rally behind fills me with hope for the future. Because, now, I see the potential for even greater things for mankind to strive to thanks to your strong but mindful leadership; beyond even my original expectations when I thought you to be my prophecied champion. Now...I see the wonderous possibilities that could spawn from your rise to power and even the aftermath of your hard-fought victory.</b>"</p><p>The new god couldn't help but feel a sense of relief as he heard that. No offense to his beloved sister but a sympathetic ear from a more experienced deity certainly had a way of easing some of his fears because he figured they both dealt with a similar weight on their shoulders. R'hllor's message still implied that he would have to deal with tremendous pressure through his burden of command but he did feel a bit better about his chances now.</p><p>Suddenly, the light around the ancient god dimmed notably. "<b>My connection to you is starting to fade. I could only sustain it while you were unconscious and even then I had to wait until you crossed the Narrow Sea so that you would be closer to my center of power in Volantis. But your body is stiring now and will soon wake.</b>"</p><p>Jon nodded in understanding. "<b>Don't worry. I can use my wishes to establish our mental communications when I have the chance if you have more to say.</b>"</p><p>"<b>That...may not work.</b>" R'hllor replied slowly. "<b>I know you have encountered few limits with your new abilities that allow you to reshape reality but, from what little I can gather about the very essence of your godhood, it appears the cosmic energies that fuel it are in direct opposition with the dark powers that restrain me.</b>"</p><p>"Wait, restrain you? What do you mean by that?" The King on the North and the Trident asked in surprise.</p><p>The musical chimes that filled his mind suddenly took a somber tone and he could have sworn he heard the light-filled deity sigh. "<b>I am...imprisoned,</b>" R'hllor admitted. "<b>And have been for thousands of years. That is why there are so many misunderstandings among my religious followers. I had only been able to commune with them indirectly for a long, long time.</b>"</p><p>Jon shivered in dread. "What could be powerful enough to contain you for millennia?"</p><p>Abruptly, the soothing music ended and its absence filled the room with cold. </p><p>"<strong>The god of the Night King,</strong>" R'hllor responded in a solemn tone. "<strong>Known to my disciples as the Great Other</strong>."</p><p>The new god swallowed as he processed that. He hadn't considered the possibility that there could be a much greater evil behind the leader of the Army of the Dead and the mere idea filled him with foreboding. </p><p>"<em>It seems there really is always a bigger fish,</em>" He thought to himself with unease.</p><p>The light grew dimmer still. "<b>We don't have much time left. Try to establish communications with your powers if you can but if not, know that it is probably because the very fabric of the magical prison that cages me is made with energies that are the antithesis to what fuels the powers of gods specifically like you and me. However, there is another way for us to communicate. When you have the opportunity, travel to Skagos. There, you will find an artifact that will allow us to have a much needed and far longer conversation. And be sure to bring Spring, the last of the Children of the Forest, with you. I need her to fill in some of the gaps in my ancient knowledge as we unravel the mysteries of the last Long Night in order to prepare for the next one.</b>"</p><p>Jon nodded slowly. "Very well. I still need to reunite with my people and reclaim the North from the sadistic usurpers that took my family's home but I promise to make my way to Skagos as soon as I can. But I have one more question: did you have anything to do with why the Faceless Men hadn't taken their chance to kill me while I was unconscious and defenseless?"</p><p>"<b>Actually, you have the high priestess of an old friend of mine to thank for that,</b>" R'hllor replied, his voice increasingly distant. "<b>I suggest you don't squander that second chance. But also, not only don't forget why you fight but why you choose to fight the way you have. It's important not to lose sight of one's self.</b>"</p><p>The new god's vision became blurred again and he no longer could see the so-called Lord of Light. But just as he was in the process of regaining consciousness, he was filled with a profound sense of determination. </p><p>"It seems I have taken additional steps into a larger world," He noted. "Time to get to work."</p><p>And with that, his surroundings faded into the background and Jon could feel he was about to open his eyes. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, the Lord of Light has entered the game. I am curious to see if any of you managed to spot my inspiration for that deity in the image I incorporated, as well as certain references in the dialogue.</p><p>Regardless, why don't we start the new year on a good note with nice reviews? Like I have said before comments from my readers certainly fuel my motivation to write faster. And I would like to update a lot more this month to make up for the last one. Anyway, good to be back guys. Hope you liked it and Happy New Year, everybody!</p>
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<a name="section0063"><h2>63. Of Pacts and Prophecies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, I could be wrong but I pretty sure this is my longest chapter yet. So, I hope you have fun with it!</p><p>As always, read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Sansa Stark followed Asher Forrester to the gate of Ironrath. Before they could go outside the walls, however, a raven-haired soldier arrived on horseback, with a younger man seating behind him. Once the scout saw him, he immediately bowed his head to Asher in respect.</p><p>"My Lord, I bring you the servant of the household of Castle Cerwyn with an important message for you," He declared.</p><p>Then he paused for a moment, his expression growing angered as they all heard the thud of more hooves approaching the entrance. "Along with some...unexpected baggage."</p><p>Sansa raised an eyebrow at that as another scout crossed the threshold, this time with a beautiful blonde woman that couldn't be more than a few years older than herself. She carried a finely weaved blue necklace and, despite the glares she was receiving from all around, she still kept her dignified poise.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Besides her, Asher Forrester inhaled sharply and the Lady of Winterfell in exile turned to look at him more carefully. His eyes seemed pleasantly surprised, but the rest of his face seemed worried.</p><p>"Gwyn," He said slowly. "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances."</p><p>The clearly highborn woman sighed deeply as she got off her horse. "Likewise, Asher. Can we talk? Please?"</p><p>"Of course," He said firmly.</p><p>Then he turned to look at his liege and took a deep breath. "My Lady, this is Gwyn Whitehill, the only daughter of the...deceased Lord Ludd Whitehill," He remarked, his tone awkward. "Gwyn, this is Lady Sansa of House Stark. She and her forces helped us break the Siege of Ironrath."</p><p>The eyes of the Lady of Winterfell in exile widen slightly at that revelation. Her gut reaction was one of distaste given that her family had backed the Boltons in their rebellion. And yet, there was something about the way the two of them had looked at each other that made Sansa realize these two had a deep history and it would be better if she heard all the facts before contemplating darker thoughts.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The surviving member of House Whitehill looked visibly uncomfortable at the mention of her name but Gwyn forced herself to look her in the eye. "I was not at the Red Wedding but my father was when he decided to join Roose Bolton in his betrayal to all the laws of gods and men. It may never be enough but, for whatever it may be worth, on behalf of what is left of House Whitehill, I am so sorry for the crimes my family committed against House Stark. I never wanted any of this or the war with House Forrester."</p><p>Sansa stared at her with an impassive expression but she didn't fail to notice that her magical necklace's temperature didn't heat up to alert her of a lie, which meant the woman was telling the truth and was sincere with her apology. In the end, she gave her a curt nod of acknowledgment.</p><p>"I appreciate that. Truly. May I ask what brings you to Ironrath, my Lady?"</p><p>"News," She replied with a heavy sigh. "And, hopefully, a better future."</p><p>Sansa tilted her head in consideration, then looked at Asher. "Maybe we should take this inside the Great Hall."</p><p>The Forrester man just nodded and instructing the servant of House Cerwyn to follow them, they headed towards the keep.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jon Stark woke up from the enlightening slumber he was forced into. The first thing of note that he realized was that his surroundings didn't seem like a prison, which he supposed could be misleading but felt like a good sign.</p><p>"Good, you are finally awake," Said a familiar voice behind his back.</p><p>The young king rose from the bed and turned around. His eyes widened slightly. The man before him had shaved his beard since the last time they met but Jon still recognized him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"Tycho Nestoris," Jon said slowly. "Hadn't seen you since I signed the contract with the Iron Bank that you drafted. Good to see you made it safely back to Braavos."</p><p>His lips curled upwards. "It was a calm enough journey. Although, I imagine it must have been far duller than yours."</p><p>Jon sighed, realizing he knew. "Yes, well, I suppose you are right. The Narrow sea looks quite impressive from dragon-back.</p><p>Then he tensed. "Wait, where is my dragon? And where is Arya? What have you done with my sister?" He demanded to know.</p><p>"Relax, my friend," The high ranking servant of the Iron Bank said with a placating gesture. "They are both alive and well."</p><p>"Where are they?" The secret god repeated.</p><p>"Your Ice Dragon is currently under heavy guard right in the partially destroyed forge where he dropped unconscious from the concentrated smoke of milk of the poppy," Tycho explained. "And I am afraid that we have had to maintain it continuously sedated in order to prevent it from razing that entire sector of the city in retaliation. After the Faceless Men decided not to kill you after all, we decided to bring you here, to the headquarters of the Iron Bank, so that we could persuade you to forgive the...misunderstanding that led to your assassination attempt."</p><p>"I guess that will depend on how the rest of my day turns out," Jon said as he narrowed his eyes slightly. "What about Arya?"</p><p>"Your sister is currently undergoing an official ceremony in the House of Black and White in order to formally relieve her of her duties to the order of the Faceless Men," The banker revealed. "Technically, that requirement is not always needed with acolytes since they hadn't been fully initiated as a Faceless Man but, well, recent events made their appointed leader decide to follow protocol."</p><p>Jon interlocked his fingers as he stared at him, a slight frown on his face. "Very well then, I'll bite: why exactly did they change their minds?"</p><p>"You have Shallan Ravad, the current High Priestess of the Temple of the Moonsingers to thank for that," Tycho declared. "As for why, well, I believe it would be better for her to explain the full details when she returns. Suffice to say for now that she found common ground with the Faceless Men through a prophecy of her people that they helped deliver to Braavos in its written form centuries ago."</p><p>Jon rubbed his forehead as he sighed. "Yet another prophecy that involves me? This is starting to get old."</p><p>Tycho looked surprised at that response but ended up staring at him carefully instead of replying immediately. After a while, he motioned to an elegant but simplistically designed desk with two chairs.</p><p>"Why don't you sit down?" He requested. "We have much to discuss."</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sansa Stark followed the path lead by Asher Forrester and the scouts as they headed towards the Great Hall. Before they could reach the stairs that lead to the keep, however, Gwyn froze on her tracks, a startled look on her face. Sansa followed her gaze and realized what surprised her: the large white bear that was mere inches behind Josera Snow, Asher's younger half-brother.</p><p>Of course, the Whitehill woman didn't know the enormous predator was the warg's familiar so he wasn't actually in any danger. Still, she could understand her apprehension. That said, the redhead couldn't help but smile when she realized Lyanna Mormont had been having a friendly conversation with Josera again as he let her approach his bear, her face still so focused on the magnificent beast that she had barely noticed them.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"<em>It seems the Lady of Bear Island is enjoying the opportunity of getting close and personal with the living embodiment of her House's sigil</em>," Sansa thought in amusement as she petted Lady's head just beside her. <em>"And I certainly understand the feeling."</em></p><p>Ahead of her, Asher turned to look at their...prisoner? Guest? Sansa wasn't entirely sure.</p><p>"Don't you worry, Gwyn," He said in a reassuring tone. "That's my brother's pet bear and believe me, I have seen for myself how well he keeps it under control."</p><p>The Lady of House Whitehill visibly relaxed at that comment somewhat but then her eyes widened when it sunk in what he had just said. "Wait, your brother?!"</p><p>"Ah, that's right, you hadn't met yet," Asher realized. "That's my younger brother Josera Snow. He and his twin sister Elsera, are the bastard children of my late father, Gregor. To be honest, I was more than a little shocked to learn of their existence but they convinced the Stark forces to come to our aid when we needed them most and I will always love them for that."</p><p>Josera smiled lightly at his sibling for that but didn't reply. Gwyn was silent for a long moment but then she shook her head as if to clear it and nodded at the warg, and quite politely too, given that, technically, she outranked him as far as social standings went.</p><p>"I know our families have a lot of bad blood between them, so I wouldn't be surprised if you consider me an enemy," She acknowledged. "All the same, it is good to meet you."</p><p>Sansa's interest kept peaking when it came to the highborn of Highpoint since her necklace detected yet again that she was not lying. It could have easily come across as fearful politeness but her sincerity was evident to the Lady of Winterfell in exile and she was getting increasingly curious as to how their day would end up developing.</p><p>Josera stared at Gwyn with calculating eyes, as if trying to decide what to make of her words. In the end, however, his expression softened slightly and he nodded back. "Good to meet you then. And who knows, maybe the worst of our families' rivalry is behind us now."</p><p>Sansa couldn't help but notice that Asher seemed more than a little relieved that the first meeting between his newfound sibling and the daughter of his late sworn enemy seemed to have gone well but then he schooled his features once more.</p><p>"We are going back to the Great Hall to discuss some important messages," He told Josera. "Would you and Lady Mormont like to join us inside?"</p><p>"Of course," He responded. "Just let me instruct my loyal bear to go hunt through our bond. I will be with you shortly."</p><p>Then he turned to look at the one that had been conversing with him and bowed with a smile. "My Lady."</p><p>Sansa raised an eyebrow when she saw the Ruler of Bear island grin for a brief moment as the huge familiar allowed the young man to place his hand on its head before they both closed their eyes. Then the redhead shrugged as the leader of House Mormont turned to join their group and kept walking.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>Jon Stark made himself comfortable on the chair from across Tycho Nestoris, wondering what exactly did the businessman had to say to him. He didn't have to wait long.</p><p>"Since I am the only high ranking servant of the Iron Bank that has met you before and the situation is so delicate in more ways than one, I have been authorized by the Council of Secret Investments to come to terms with you," He began. "Moreover, I have been granted permission to reveal certain pieces of information known only to a select few. But before we start, I have an important question for you."</p><p>The secret god tilted his head as he stared at him with curiosity in his gaze. "I am listening."</p><p>"Well, first of all, when she woke up and was yet to be reassured that the Faceless Men no longer meant them any harm, your sister may have slipped up that your late half-brother had named you as his Stark heir to the kingship over the North and the Trident and that this development has since been recently revealed to the public," The banking official told him, as he stared at him with a meticulous gaze. "Was she telling the truth?"</p><p>Jon sighed for a moment but nodded firmly. "The Red Wedding occurred before that announcement could have been made public, and most of the witnesses to the writing of Robb's will ended up dying there but the signed copies were guarded by one of my father's oldest friends. Between that, managing to tame an Ice Dragon, and the desires of many of Lords from the North and the Riverlands to break free from the control of the Boltons and the Lannister-Frey forces respectively, I have gained the backing of many other Houses so, yes, they see me as their King now and my army has grown much since last we spoke," He confirmed. "I hadn't been able to arrange a proper coronation ceremony yet, however. My goals and my new duties have constantly required me to remain on the move."</p><p>"I see," Tycho said with a pondering tone.</p><p>His fingers pressed on the desk, tapping it lightly as he seemed to contemplate his response. In the end, he shrugged.</p><p>"Alright then, I won't presume to command a king such as yourself but I assure you that the Iron Bank would appreciate your discretion on the matters we are about to discuss today," He pointed out as he took a deep breath. "As you and many others have guessed over the years, it is true that the Faceless Men have a secret alliance of sorts with the Iron Bank of Braavos. These days, we do not require their services all that often since our reputation has grown legendary at this point but, historically, we have admittedly used their services to assassinate rulers or other individuals that owed a significant amount of money to the Iron Bank. Specifically, those that were in a position of power considerable enough to make the prospect of open-war against them in order to reclaim what is owed way too costly in lives and money on both sides to be practical."</p><p>Jon nodded slowly, not particularly surprised. As he said, it was a long-established rumor by this point and it made more sense than most. "I had thought of that possibility before. But why are you exactly are you admitting that to me?"</p><p>"So that you better understand the historical background behind the proposition the Iron Bank would like to make you," Nestoris replied. "You see, alliances go both ways. We get to use the all-but-guaranteed results of that order of assassins when the need arises and we also get a significant cut out of every one of their expensive contracts. In exchange, we have had to make some concessions to the Faceless Men. First and foremost is, of course, not to imprison them for their...religious activities," The banker explained with a somber note in his tone. "We also agreed to allow them to deal with members of their order that go rogue which means that, under the terms of our agreement, even if your sister had committed any acts that would be considered serious crimes anywhere in the known world, the moment the Ceremony of Identity is over, your sister would have effectively received a full pardon under Braavosi law for all intents and purposes."</p><p>The young king was relieved to hear that but he didn't like getting the idea of his little sister committing heinous crimes inside his head. "That is good to hear," He ended up saying as he gesture for him to go on.</p><p>"Now," The banker said after a moment of silence. "There are more agreements we have made with the order that are still in effect but right now, I am only going to talk about the two that are most relevant for our conversation and the first has to do with the visions the Faceless Men received from you in the surface of the Pools of Annihilation inside their temple."</p><p>Jon raised an eyebrow. "Yes, that Faceless Man that my sister referred to as Jaqen mentioned something about that. It seemed to have convinced him that I should be returned to the grave for the greater good."</p><p>"An unfortunate misunderstanding, I assure you," He apologized with a placating smile. "I am afraid that even the best of us can have trouble accurately interpreting visions of the future because they are not a precise art...usually, at any rate."</p><p>The secret god titled his head. "Usually?"</p><p>"Yes, well, there are exceptions to the rule, as in everything," He said vaguely. "Regardless, the important part is that the Many-Faced God does not send visions to directly guide the actions of the order anywhere near frequently. But on the rare occasions that does happen, the Iron Bank is required to back the religious efforts of the entire order and, if the visions gave them the idea that they must also protect a high priority target from death instead of the other way around, then the Iron Bank has assured them that they will provide an enormous amount of money to this person of interest in order to facilitate their survival in more ways than one."</p><p>The King in the North and the Trident blinked as it started to dawn on him what he was trying to say. "Wait...you want to give me more money because the Faceless Men changed their minds and now want to protect me? And how did that even happen?"</p><p>"Yes, and yes," The Keyholder confirmed. "As for how did their lines of thought shifted in that direction, well, at first they thought, wrongly I'll admit, that your resurrection somehow heralded the return of the dangerous White Walkers of old and so they assumed you needed to be slain in order to deprive them of an invaluable asset. But now, thanks to Shallan Ravad's compelling arguments, they have come to believe their god was, in fact, warning them that you will be needed to defeat these icy demons."</p><p>"Right," Jon said slowly as he chewed on all of that. "Well, I can confirm to you that I have made it my mission to rally as much of Westeros as I can to repel the Army of the Dead ever since I saw them with my own eyes. But you hadn't seen any proof about their existence for yourself so, I must say I am a bit surprised that you can readily believe all of this. It's not exactly easy to swallow, after all."</p><p>Tycho shrugged. "I believe in serving the Iron Bank. And in appeasing the Faceless Men when necessary. So, even if you happen to be a fraud as far as this ancient enemy is concerned, I am not even remotely interested in telling the greatest order of assassins in the known world that we are not going to be honoring our end of the agreement."</p><p>"Fair enough," The secret god said in agreement. "Out of curiosity, when was the last time this happened?"</p><p>"About three hundred years ago, back when Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives were trying to conquer Dorne on dragon-back," The banker revealed. "They received a vision that led them to the conclusion that House Martell needed to survive and remain in power of their region in order for them to aid a certain cause an unspecified number of centuries later. So, they started backing the Dornish resistance movement from the shadows, both with hit-and-run tactics and through the financial aid the Iron Bank provided in secret to House Martell via constant deliveries of weapons and supplies at various points of their coastline under the veil of the night. One of their number even started training a new Dornish acolyte in the field so well that this young man became skilled enough to fire the scorpion bolt that killed the dragon Meraxes and its queen of a rider with one move," He added with a smirk of pride.</p><p>Jon's eyes widened considerably as he took that in. "That must have been quite the secret operation. Very impressive."</p><p>"Thank you," The high ranking official said. "Although, now that House Martell has seemingly gone extinct, I must assume that the purpose they were preserved for had already been fulfilled."</p><p>"Not necessarily," Jon said slowly, a little hesitant to reveal this information but after what he had just heard it seemed unlikely to be an issue. "Arianne Martell actually left Dorne shortly before the coup of the Sand Snakes on a special assignment from her father, the late Prince Doran. She hasn't publicly revealed herself the last time I checked with my sources, however, so it's unclear as to where she is."</p><p>"Hmph," Tycho hummed. "Interesting. I was not aware of that."</p><p>Jon scratched his chin. "Most prophecies and visions usually come with signs and omens that can give people an idea of what to look for when the events are approaching, based on what I have heard. Did the Faceless Men's vision about the Martells had anything that implied when would such events take place?"</p><p>"Yes, actually," The servant responded. "Back then, the visions from the pools also came with a few guiding voices, although we have never been certain if they were the words of the Many-Faced God or echoes of the future. I can send you a longer transcript at some point if you are interested but I do remember one of the major lines as it left an impression on me."</p><p>He took a deep breath and opened his mouth. "When the nomadic river, the ageless star, the thieving sheep, and the lost princess cross paths with the secret god, pacts will be made and before long, prosperity shall be released," The Keyholder recited.</p><p>"Huh," The young king said slowly, trying to keep his expression as neutral as he could while his mind went wild with possibilities.</p><p>"<em>Secret god...could it be...?</em>" Jon thought as he shook his head. "<em>Just exactly how many prophecies from different cultures are going to include me on their omens?" </em>He asked to no one in particular, feeling more than a little shocked.</p><p>"We are getting off-topic," He ended up saying. "You were saying that you were required to loan me more money?"</p><p>"Not quite," The banker replied. "Because it wouldn't actually be a loan. We would require you to make anyone outside your inner circle that asks to believe it was a loan but in reality, as per our iron-clad agreement with the Faceless Men, since you are the target of interest in their visions, you are not actually obligated to pay us back. At least not this particular amount. You are still our customer due to the loan we already gave you prior to this meeting and that one you would have to pay back eventually but the debt would be much lower than what we would actually be granting you," He explained.</p><p>"You don't say," The King of the North and the Trident said with quite a bit of surprise in his voice. "I have never heard of you offering money for free."</p><p>"Because it hasn't happened in centuries as I have just mentioned," Nestoris said with a resigned smile. "But while it will be a high and unexpected act of charity, I for one have a feeling that it could also be the start of a very profitable business partnership."</p><p>"One can hope," Jon said in agreement. "So, how much money are we talking about?" He asked as he reached for his glass of water for the first time.</p><p>"Converted to Westerosi terms?" He asked with an amused expression. "Around 50 million golden dragons in all."</p><p>And just like that, the secret god spat out the water he was drinking in a very undignified way.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, that happened :D</p><p>As you can see, this chapter added a new character from the Game of Thrones Telltale game to the storyline on Ironrath that will advance some of the developments I have in mind for the Post-Bolton future. And across the Narrow Sea, Jon is getting access to valuable, not to mention classified, information from the most powerful and secretive financial institution in Planetos. To say nothing of the fleet-load of cash coming his way XD</p><p>At any rate, I hope you enjoyed it. I am curious to see what you thought of it, especially in regards to the prophetic line Nestoris recited. Until next time, everyone!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0064"><h2>64. Ironing out Details</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, here is the next chapter. It has some substantial political machinations and agreements involved, which is kind of the lifeblood of Game of Thrones so I hope you like it.</p><p>As always, read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Jon Stark apologized profusely to Tycho Nestoris for spitting on him by accident but the high-ranking official replied that, honestly, he had brought that on himself for revealing the tremendous amount of money they would be giving him while he was drinking across from him. Still, Jon remained silent for a long moment, trying to imagine such gigantic wealth and probably coming up short, since it sounded beyond his wildest dreams.</p><p>The banker finished drying himself with a napkin and before his cough interrupted his contemplations. "I imagine you have questions."</p><p>"Too many to count right now," Jon muttered. "Why don't you walk me through the most important details? I imagine there must be conditions for all of this, even if it's not an actual loan."</p><p>"You are very perceptive, King Jon," Tycho responded with a nod of approval. "As you say, there are conditions to this agreement. You see, in the past, we would have provided you with all the funding, or goods and services purchased with those funds, that our alliance with the greatest order of the assassins in the world required of us, within a few years. That's what we did for House Martell, you see. However, in case you are not aware, the Faceless Men operate under the premise that the price to be paid for their services must be proportional to the wealth of their clients or at least for what they are willing to offer," He explained. "That costly practice began so that the people who sought out their services would be as sure as they could be that they really, really wanted their target dead, because according to members of the order, the gift of death should not be given lightly or by the underserving. It also allows poorer people to partake in their...religious contracts since the value they will have to pay scales with how much or how little wealth they can offer."</p><p>"As a result," The servant went on, "they also applied that proportional value to the Iron Bank on the rare occasions they demand us to honor the monetary part of our agreement. And since the Iron Bank is not only the richest financial institution in the known world by far but also much more wealthy right now than we were 300 years ago, and in no small part thanks to the large cuts we receive from all the contracts of the Faceless Men, the amount of money we would have to give you in this day and age would be much higher than what we gave House Martell centuries ago. Hence the 50 million sum."</p><p>"I see," The secret god said slowly. "I suppose that makes sense in this case then, based on their methods."</p><p>Tycho simply nodded before taking a deep breath. "Back then we gave House Martell the equivalent of around 15 million golden dragons. However, due to our desire to keep that alliance in the shadows, and the need for the rulers of Dorne to keep their scattered people feed, clothed, and armed during the long and fiery years that Aegon and Visenya Targaryen put every keep and holdfast of the arid region the torch except for Sunspear through the use of their dragons, Balerion and Vhagar, we didn't actually give them that much gold. Rather, they preferred to receive a constant stream of food and supplies around their long coastline during the night, which was then distributed among the different pockets of resistance in order to sustain their war effort," He said in-depth as explanations flowed from him.</p><p>"That said," The banker added as he went on, "your situation is not exactly the same. It true that you still have to deal with the usurpers at your ancestral home and since I imagine the government of the Iron Throne is not just going to let you go without a fight if they can help it, you will probably have to fight a war or two at the beginning of your reign. More than that, because of the interests in our agreement with the Faceless Men, you have more gold to spare in this arrangement than the Martells did back then."</p><p>Jon scratched his chin as he pondered the matter. "True. And I must say I am impressed, as this would clearly mean that the last few centuries must have been truly profitable for your bank if the interests have risen so much. Still, winter has very nearly arrived in Westeros and the landscape of the North is already too full of snow in most places to be able to farm properly. With such enormous financial aid, I would be most interested in using much of the money to buy excess food from elsewhere so that my people will be less likely to starve, especially considering that if the Maesters are right, it will last longer than the last 10 year-long summer."</p><p>The high-ranking official smiled. "I was hoping you would say that. Not just because it shows you to be a competent leader that can think ahead of such a large pile of gold in order to improve the future of his people but also because of one of the conditions we would require you to accept."</p><p>"And that one is...?" The young king pressed on.</p><p>"That whenever you seek to use these specific funds for purchases of food, weapons, and supplies across the Narrow Sea, allow the people of Braavos to offer you their services first, before looking elsewhere in Essos," Nestoris responded. "To clarify, you can still use that money to buy other supplies from the rest of Westeros that your people may need in winter and in the wars to come without issue but, given how poor the weather conditions will get soon enough and how ravaged much of your continent has become in recent years, your kingdom is unlikely to get everything they may require from other regions further south. Especially among the kingdoms where there is bad blood against the North right now."</p><p>"And that is where you intend to come in to fill in the void of our economy, I take it?" Jon asked with a neutral expression, his fingers interlocked.</p><p>"Indeed," The banker confirmed with a nod. "Of course, there may be times where Braavos won't have enough quantities of the supplies you require, in which case you are free to seek out more goods and services from elsewhere in Essos. But we demand that Braavos becomes the first choice of your government to spend money on across the Narrow sea in exchange for whatever it is you may require."</p><p>"Hmph," Jon hummed, thinking. "I suppose that's more than fair. That said, we will have to make an additional account in order to differentiate between the money you would be giving me then and other sources of income I would get from my kingdom, like taxes, or returns on investments I would get from projects I would begin financing with this economic aid."</p><p>"That has already been contemplated by the Council of Secret Investments," Tycho said in agreement. "Moreover, we are in the process of updating the previous account you made with me to the Ruler's Section under the name <span class="u">King of the North and the Trident</span>."</p><p>Then he paused for a moment as he lightly tapped the surface of his wooden desk. "Which brings me to my next point. If at any moment, whether by circumstance, by rights of conquest, by popular support across Westeros, or anything else, you happen to gain control of the Government of the Seven Kingdoms, then you would be inheriting its debt to the Iron Bank, which, at last count, stands at over 23 million golden dragons."</p><p>The secret god's eyes widened at that. "I know wars swallow gold like a pit in the earth but I was not aware they were so much in debt, especially with the Lannisters in charge of that iron chair."</p><p>"Well, you see, not many outside these walls know about this fact," The high-ranking official continued. "but Casterly Rock ran out of gold mines a few years ago."</p><p>The dragonrider's jaw dropped at that, his mind alight with that revelation. "Seriously?"</p><p>"We are talking about an unfortunate situation that has cost the Iron Bank a lot of income," Nestoris pointed out. "Believe me, King Jon, I would not joke about this."</p><p>The legitimized Stark was silent for a long moment as he took that in. Now their motivations for backing him up made even more sense. They want their loans paid back in full and they may also be hoping that with all that wealth, he may have a much easier chance to open a path to the Iron Throne. And like he had told himself during that restless night after conversing with Sarella Sand, that could very well happen if he played well the cards that were dealt to him by the hand of fate.</p><p>Suddenly, a bolt of inspiration struck him as a mad, seemingly counter-intuitive idea came to mind. But the plan sounded like such a good investment in the long run that he couldn't just ignore the possibility. He ended up masking his features and started to address the banker's latest condition.</p><p>"What I am about to say must not be repeated outside this bank," Jon stressed with a firm tone of voice. "But I suppose I can share some relevant, royal secrets of my own after everything you are revealing to me, along with your enormous offer of gold."</p><p>Tycho nodded in understanding. "We value the price of discretion here at the Iron Bank. Do not worry, your Grace."</p><p>"Well, in that case, then know that after I am done retaking my ancestral home, I will begin preparing my armies to invade and conquer the Iron Islands," The King of the North and the Trident declared. "Arya revealed to me that the reason she tried to escape the order of the Faceless Men was that she learned that their current king, Euron Greyjoy, was planning to offer them a rare dragon egg in exchange for establishing a contract that would result in my assassination. And that. Will. Not. Stand." He vowed. "Especially not after all the carnage that the Ironborn put the North through during the War of the Five Kings, under the orders of Euron's brother. And even if he hadn't put a price on my head, I simply can't ensure the stability of my newly established kingdom with those raiders constantly attacking our western shores. So, yes, I do intend to expand my domains," The secret god confirmed.</p><p>"I see," The banker said slowly. "Certainly a better cause to start a war than many others I have heard about. Any other kingdom that has caught your attention?"</p><p>Jon tilted his head as he stared at his new ally with a calculating gaze. Then he shrugged. "I have come to realize that it is quite possible the Lords of the Vale may decide to break away from the Iron Throne and declare for me as their king, due to many reasons but time will tell in the end. Other than that, I recently established a non-aggression pact with the Reach through Lady Olenna, the influential matriarch of House Tyrell, during my visit to White Harbor. Between us, they appear to be seeking to disentangle themselves from the Iron Throne but we hadn't established any concrete alliance that would be solid enough for the Reach to join my kingdom. Well, not yet anyway," He added, as he thought back on the veiled marriage proposal Olenna offered between Margaery Tyrell and him.</p><p>His eyes widened as he remembered that he hadn't actually made the wish he had been carefully wordsmithing on his way to Braavos that would ensure the secret escape of Sansa's friend from the prison of the Faith's Militant, along with her brother and father. Raising his glass of water again, he slowly began drinking so that he wouldn't have to talk immediately while he mentally willed his thoughts into reality. About half a minute later, the three of them were safe on a ship bound for White Harbor and any injuries Arya would have sustained during the fight with that acolyte and her superiors would have been fully healed.</p><p>On the other chair, Tycho Nestoris was none the wiser about the important rescue the king before him had just implemented in a matter of seconds without moving from the spot, despite being an entire sea away from the city those events took place. Jon put the now empty glass of water back on the table and put on his most unreadable expression.</p><p>"Well," The high-ranking official said as he scratched his chin slightly, "If those plans go your way, then that would mean you would have over half of the territories of Westeros that are south of the Wall under your rule. Hmph. That's not the entirety of the Seven Kingdoms but if you get that far, it would be quite likely that eventually the rest of the regions would follow suit, especially with the Stormlands and the Westerlands so weakened by the last war, to say nothing of the current succession crisis in Dorne and the chaos in King's Landing by now. I suppose we can afford to wait on that front."</p><p>"You are assuming I actually want control of all of the Seven Kingdoms," Jon pointed out. "You could be wrong."</p><p>The banker shrugged. "We could be. However, if what you say about the Army of the Dead is true, I believe you would not like to waste a golden opportunity to unify most of Westeros under one banner."</p><p>The former Lord Commander of the Night's Watch sighed. "I suppose you have a point there. But like I said, time will tell if that is what will actually happen."</p><p>"Indeed. Now, let's talk about the last three biggest conditions," He urged. "Another one is that, once your position of power has been consolidated, you must sign a treaty with the Sealord of Braavos where your respective domains would enter a military alliance for the next 50 years at the very least. We hadn't sorted out all the specifics for that treaty as of yet and Braavos hasn't really had a war with other Free Cities for a while now but it pays to be prepared. Moreover, if you would rather not send your armies to support us for whatever reason, then we would require you to pay us money from the 50 million sum so that we can use it to hire sellsword companies in order to improve our defenses. Technically, if we would decide not to support you with our own soldiers for the first half a decade after the treaty is signed, the vast amounts of money we already have reserved for you would be considered a valid enough compensation for that," The servant clarified. "But after that, we can help each other on more martial terms when the need arises."</p><p>The secret god took a moment to consider the potential ramifications of such an alliance. Some of his highborn subjects might dislike the idea of eventually getting dragged into a conflict across the Narrow Sea but even without taking the tremendous amount of money they would be giving him into account, and how could they not, such a mighty alliance would make many think twice before attacking either of their territories. To say nothing of all the mutual benefits in times of crisis.</p><p>"I would have to read that treaty very carefully before agreeing to sign it," The young king remarked. "However, from what you are saying, it sounds like an acceptable condition to me and likely to prove mutually beneficial in the long run. If the terms stay that way instead of getting crucially altered, I believe we can establish a formal alliance."</p><p>"That is gratifying to hear," Tycho responded with a nod. "So, let's continue. The fourth condition is that for the next 15 years, 8 out of every 10 ships you would be financing for the construction and expansion of your kingdom's navy must be constructed in the Arsenal of Braavos. We are your fastest option to make a vast fleet anywhere in the known world at any rate so it's not a bad compromise if you ask me."</p><p>"Hmm, if your fabled Arsenal can really construct a warship in a single day, then it would be unwise of me to say no to that arrangement," Jon said in agreement. "And it would allow more wealth to flow into Braavos as part of the deal. Very well, sound reasonable."</p><p>"In that case, now we just have to discuss the condition concerning how frequently we would be sending you that gigantic amount of money," Nestoris said. "As you can imagine, 50 million golden dragons is an immense quantity of wealth, even for us. We can pay for it and we have even more money than that under our control but we are concerned that if we send you the entire sum at once, it would end up devaluating the price of gold in much of Westeros and the Free Cities and provoke an enormous economic crisis eventually. So, we have decided to give you 10 million golden dragons, to begin with, so that you can consolidate your kingship, pay for the supplies your people will need to prepare for winter, and finance the wars you'll need to fight early on in your reign," He explained. "After that, however, we would just be giving you one million golden dragons per year for the next 4 decades until all 50 million golden dragons have been handed over to you. And if you happen to die before the final payment, then the money will go to your successor. Is that acceptable?</p><p>"Of course," The King of the North and the Trident said with a nod. "After all, I wasn't even expecting to get this financial backing from you when I flew to Braavos to bring my sister back to Westeros with me. But if you are determined to honor your agreement with the Faceless Men, then I have no complaints about this condition. It is certainly fair enough."</p><p>The high ranking official smirked, seemingly pleased with himself. "Then it's settled then. I truly believe this could be the start of a very profitable partnership, King Jon. And the Iron Bank is always pleased to be of service."</p><p>Tycho Nestoris offered his hand and Jon shook it, solidifying the initial stage of their agreement.</p><p>"Now that we have taken care of this order of business, I am going to look for the High Priestess of the Temple of the Moonsingers and accompany her to this room," The banker told him. "She is quite anxious to speak with you. Please wait here. I will return shortly."</p><p>And with that, he left Jon alone in the office, now that they had made the deal of the century.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, that takes care of most of the finer details of the business with the Iron Bank. I imagine it may not have been that interesting for some of you but I needed to explain and establish their mutually beneficial relationship at some point due to the future plans I have in mind. Plus, remember that this is Game of Thrones. Political machinations are kind of ingrained in the themes and plotlines of this franchise. Anyway, I hope you found some things to enjoy in this chapter, and until next time guys, see ya!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0065"><h2>65. Of Atonement and Paradoxes*</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Before we begin, I have three important announcements to make:</p><p>1. I am going to be extra busy this week. So, I decided to break down the major points of my outlines for the next few, initially, long chapters and divide them into shorter versions than what I originally had in mind. Apologies if the shorter length leaves you impatient but this way, I should be able to at least update every other day instead of maybe just managing to post the next chapter on the coming weekend. So, if all goes well, I think it will be worth it.</p><p>2. It pleases me to announce that, after spending a lot of time and several thousands of words improving my outlines and future plans, I will be posting a spin-off story for this tale in the near future. Long story short, think of it as a World of Ice and Fire-esque companion tale that will mainly cover my new fanon version for the origins of the gods we will eventually see in the story and my take on how life on Planetos began in this alternate reality. In a way, it's a fun thought exercise of mine where I took most of the religions from this world that would be relevant to my future plans in some way, be it because of the deities involved or because of the societies their religious adherents come from, and base part of their orgins on far more detailed and intricate lore from the World of Warcraft franchise, all the while mixing it with pre-established lore from the A Song of Ice and Fire books and from the show. Technically, you won't actually need to read the companion book I am planning to do because I intend to be as self explanatory as organically possible when we get to their involvement but much of the additional context will be added there, so it would explain quite a bit when the time comes if you had been checking out that spin-off as well. Plus, I will aim to make it fascinating. Right now, the workable title is A Mythology of Ice and Fire but it may change before I post it</p><p>3. For those of you that want me to write some additional smut for the story, I hear you. Just need to take care of a few things first but we will get there sooner than I originally had in mind now that I found a way to incorporate another idea into my outlines during a slot of my timeline that works well enough. More on that later.</p><p>Well then, as always read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>When Sansa Stark entered the Great Hall along with her highborn companions, the first thing she noticed was how silent the room got they arrived. Lord Rodrick seemed to have been discussing something important with his veteran Master-at-Arms, Ser Royland Degore, along with Rodrick's little sister, Talia Forrester, but the second their heads turned to look at Gwyn Whitehill, they froze and started to stare.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>The Lady of Winterfell on exile had gotten better at reading people ever since she became a prisoner in all but name on King's Landing years earlier and, based on what she could gather, she suspected the Lord of Ironrath's instinctive reaction was similar to the one she got when first learning the identity of their new guest; one of distaste, forged by old grievances. However, he ended up taking a deep breath and moved forward to greet them, his sister and loyal guard walking beside him as he did so.</p><p>"Gwyn," Rodrik said with a polite nod. "It has been a long time."</p><p>The blonde woman sighed. "That it has. About a year now since my efforts to end the war between our Houses with my betrothal to Asher ended in that siege. I am so sorry Rodrick. I swear, I really did try my best to prevent my father from escalating things."</p><p>"It clearly wasn't enough," Ser Royland said, gruffly.</p><p>The Whitehill woman closed her eyes for a moment, her expression remorseful. "I know. House Forrester and the people of Ironrath have suffered immensely at my family's hands since the Red Wedding. Gregor's death at the Twins, Lord Ethan's senseless murder by Ramsay Bolton at my father's prompting, the mistreatment of your people under my brother Gryff's short-lived occupation, the flaying of your brother-in-law, Arthur...I wanted the bloodshed to end so I gambled on a peaceful resolution but I lost. And my father stopped listening to me after that, which is why I was unable to do anything about the siege."</p><p>She opened her eyes again and swallowed hard, visibly shaken. Then, she undoubtedly caught the undivided attention of everyone present when she got down on her knees and looked at Lord Rodrik straight in the eye from her position.</p><p>"I know my family doesn't deserve your forgiveness, so I won't ask for it," She continued, her lower lip quivering. "But I want you to know, I truly am sorry."</p><p>The room was permeated by a cloud of absolute silence for a long moment, during which Sansa noticed that Asher seemed beyond tense, as if trying to decide whether to say something or not. But the ruler of Ironrath was unlikely to have noticed since he only had eyes for Gwyn. Eventually, he decided to get down to one knee himself, presumably so that he could speak with her at eye-level.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"I won't pretend that, even with the birth of my firstborn son, this hasn't been the worst year of my life," He declared. "And aside from all the tragedies you mentioned, you should know that during the siege, my mother Elissa also didn't make it; succumbing to illness," He added while the woman before him inhaled sharply. "However...I also can't deny that the one most directly to blame for all our latest woes has already paid for it with his head. And you are right, Gwyn, you did try your hardest to stop this war from escalating, which is more than I can say from Lord Glover; who stayed at Deepwood Motte and refused to intervene in the war between the Houses sworn directly to him."</p><p>Then he sighed and told his sister Talia to go fetch them some bread and salt, presumably to invoke the guest rights. "I always did have a soft spot for you, which is why I didn't object when you said you wanted to marry my brother, as I still thought that the betrothal might have worked to our favor back then. That said, after everything my bannermen had have to endure under the siege, from hunger and disease to occasional skirmishes and sheer terror, I suggest you don't wander around during your stay at Ironrath. I can't guarantee some of them won't take a look at another Whitehill in our midst and try to kill you in their grief. But for now, know that I appreciate your apology."</p><p>At that, the youngest Forrester in the room returned with the requested food and offered them to Gwyn with a sad smile. The blonde inhaled sharply and then took a bite to complete the ceremonial exchange.</p><p>"Thank you," She said in a small voice.</p><p>Rodrik offered her his hand and she took it as they got back on their feet. Sansa took a moment to tilt her head in Asher's direction and could plainly read the expression of relief he had on his face.</p><p>"<em>Hmm,</em>" Sansa thought as she had been pondering what she had learned from these last interactions and the inherent sincerity from all the parties involved. "<em>It seems Asher was not exactly against the idea of marrying her as well. Interesting. I am going to have to ask for more details later.</em>"</p><p>Suddenly, one of the guards that had escorted them cleared his throat rather loudly. "Forgive me, my Lords, I understand you have much to say to each other now that she is here but I really must stress that you listen to the servant that worked at Castle Cerwyn. The message is most important."</p><p>Suddenly, everyone looked at the short, black-haired man, who had remained silent the entire way until then. He hurriedly bowed to the Lord of Ironrath when he turned to address the scarred survivor.</p><p>"Very well then," Rodrik said. "May I ask who are you and what message do you have for us?"</p><p>The young man took a deep breath. " My name is Gaven, my Lord. I am...was, a stableboy working at the castle. That is how I had access to a fresh and fast horse when I decided to make the journey to Ironrath."</p><p>Then he turned to look at the Lady of Winterfell in exile and swallowed. "I am afraid Lord Cerwyn has agreed to support Ramsay Bolton in his campaign against you."</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Iron Bank's Headquarters: Free City of Braavos</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Jon Stark looked outside the window from Tycho Nestoris' room within the Iron Bank, waiting for his return as he contemplated whether or not to implement his craziest idea yet.</p><p>He scratched his chin as he narrowed his eyes almost imperceptibly. The high ranking official had told him that the crown owed the Iron Bank over 23 million golden dragons. That was a tremendously heavy chain around the neck of the Lannisters, especially now that he had learned that their gold mines had run out. So, between breaking the North and the Riverlands away from their government and establishing alliances with the Vale and the Reach, with even the potential that those negotiations culminate in their domains joining his kingdom, there was a high chance the Lannister regime could collapse before long under its own weight. And that wasn't even counting their growing conflict with the Faith Militant or his plans to conquer the Iron Islands as soon as he could prepare his campaign, thereby potentially snatching another kingdom from them.</p><p>And yet...he couldn't let go of his seemingly counter-intuitive idea: to refill the Lannister gold mines.</p><p>The young king's eyes grew unfocused as he looked outside the window, concentrating more on his thoughts more than the sight before him. It sounded mad at first glance, true. They had killed his father, plunged the continent into a bloody war, allied with the Freys to assassinate his brother, backed the usurpers living in his ancestral home, and were likely responsible for more atrocities, directly or indirectly, than he would ever really know. </p><p>But then, Jon looked at the potential benefits of such a wish and it made him feel conflicted. For one, he couldn't stop thinking about what Tycho had said about how likely it may be that the pieces could fall in such a way that he may very well end up in the Iron Throne before long, or at least, inheriting the mantel of the Seven Kingdoms for all intents and purposes. He didn't particularly like that idea but he also realized that it would be the best way to unify Westeros against the Army of the Dead. Maybe even beyond too, now that Braavos would become his ally after their treaty is signed. </p><p>And that made the idea something he couldn't ignore. His ideal goal of not only saving humanity from the Night King's forces but helping reforge their bonds of brotherhood through their common enemy would become abundantly easier if he could claim all the lands south of the Wall.</p><p>However, there would be complications aside from the obvious military concerns. And one of the most significant ones would be that, the debt to the Iron Bank that he would inherit if he succeeded in being crowned king of the Seven Kingdoms would actually be over twice as high as the amount of money they would be initially giving him. After all, they were quite clear that even if the final sum would be 50 million golden dragons, they would start with a 10 million offer. That meant that if he took the Iron Throne too early, he wouldn't be able to take advantage of his tremendous financial aid to truly improve things for his subjects. </p><p>"But," The secret god said slowly, "if the current holders of the debt would suddenly discover an abundance of gold inside their territories that they would have apparently missed, they would be able to reduce the debt considerably in the months to come," He realized."I would just need to conquer the Westerlands and King's Landing last so that they can have the time to mine the precious metal."</p><p>He also realized that this would have the effect of revitalizing the Lannister army, which would no doubt bring them into an open war with the Faith Militant. And, from a pragmatic point of view, that would be more convenient than not for the young king because he suspected that army of zealots would become a major problem for his people due to their predominant worship of the Old Gods, if the fanatics in charge were to grow too much in power. And that was to say nothing of how they would react to his plans for incestuous, polygamous marriages.</p><p>"Yes..." Jon sighed, his tone resigned. "My rule would be far more stable if those two forces weaken each other in battle by the time I am ready to take over the capital."</p><p>And there was one last factor. He realized it was a bit vindictive of him but, to be honest with himself, he did not want House Lannister to fall with a whimper if he had no part in it now that he was king. He wanted to oversee the efforts to bring them to justice and for that, he needed them to be alive by the time he was ready to act. Besides, it would be far more impressive if he managed to lead his forces to victory over a renovated Lannister host, rather than a far more broken foe. Now that would be a major victory for his regime, and for the singers to retell as the morale among my troops and the confidence in his rule rose. And after that, he could make sure that whoever was left in charge of Casterly Rock would use part of its restored mineral wealth for the benefit of the realm.</p><p>So, with all of that in mind, Jon made his decision before he could change his mind. </p><p>Taking a deep breath he took some time to formulate the precise wording on his head. By the time he was done, he knew that a small but not insignificant earthquake had broken the lower levels of Casterly Rock and seemingly brought forth many tons of previously undetected gold from deeper underground, while making sure there were no lives lost by the effects of the tremor. And much further north, Sansa's enchanted necklace suddenly gained an additional effect: the ability to detect when other people in her immediate vicinity had the capacity to use magic, this time interpreted by a momentary ice-cold shift in the temperature. </p><p>"All right," The young king muttered to himself as he exhaled. "It's done. I really hope this long-term investment pays off."</p><p>As if on cue, Jon turned back when he heard the sound of the door opening again and saw Tycho Nestoris returning with a  woman he could only assume was the high priestess he had been hearing so much about. </p><p>
  
</p><p>Jon raised an eyebrow. She seemed older than him but she still appeared somewhat younger than he would have expected for someone in the role of High Priestess of a religion. Then again, he hasn't heard much at all from her faith so who is he to talk?</p><p>The woman was carrying a scroll in her hands and while it seemed to have been cleaned up recently, it was clearly a very old parchment. She gazed at him with eyes that shone with hope before bowing deeply. </p><p>"King Jon, my name is Shallan Ravad, High Priestess of the Temple of the Moonsingers in Braavos," She told him. "And I believe you are the candidate that one of our old prophecies referred to when one of my distant predecessors was struck by a very detailed vision...back in the mines of Old Valyria, in the days before the Doom."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hoped you liked it. If you have any questions about my announcements or the chapter itself, feel free to leave a comment and I will reply as soon as I can. Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0066"><h2>66. Breaking the Cycle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, here is the next chapter. Like I said, it is a bit shorter than I originally planned, which is why it only focuses on the current storyline from one of the two continents but as I said, I am kind of busy this week. Still, I hope you like it. Oh, and by the way, now that my story is over 65 chapters long, it has officially crossed both the 100,000 word mark and the 2,000 reviews mark! I am hyped :D thanks for all your interest. It inspired me to pass that milestone faster than I originally thought I would. </p><p>Anyway, as always, read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="chapter-content">
  <p>Sansa Stark interlocked her fingers, schooling her features as the flames of anger erupted in her chest. Around her, she could see the scowls of discontent from the Forresters as Lord Rodrik narrowed his eyes.</p>
  <p>"Explain," He demanded.</p>
  <p>The servant bit his bottom lip, his expression nervous. "Please my Lord, you must see that I disagreed with this action. Why else would I have abandoned the castle and sought to warn you in advance?"</p>
  <p>Sansa took a deep breath and approached him slowly while softening her features. "We understand," She said in her most reassuring tone. "And believe me, if what you say is true, then I will personally guarantee you are rewarded for your loyalty to House Stark once I reclaim my ancestral seat. But we could use some additional details. What more do you know?"</p>
  <p>The stableboy seemed to relax somewhat and turned to look at her before sighing. "As you may know, M'lady," Gaven began, "Castle Cerwyn is merely half a day's ride from Winterfell so its ruling House is a bit too close to the Bolton's forces for comfort. Not that Lord Medger just bowed meekly at these bloody usurpers, oh no. In fact, I was there that day when he refused to pay his taxes. He said that the Warden of the North would always be a Stark and that he’d be damned if he’d kiss a traitor’s boot. I was tending to the horses at the time, my Lady, but his yells on the matter were most clear.</p>
  <p>Then he swallowed, his expression tormented. "Unfortunately, that bloodthirsty bastard, Ramsay, did not like that response at all. So...he flayed him living, along with his wife and brother. Made his son, Cley, watch. And after that, the new Lord Cerwyn decided it was in his best interests to pay his taxes."</p>
  <p>More than one curse was muttered across the Great Hall of Ironrath at such despicable news, the loudest coming from Ser Royland Degore as the seasoned Master-at-arms fumed in anger but Lyanna Mormont wasn't far behind. Sansa, for her part, closed her eyes for a moment, lamenting the fact the loyalists in her homeland had been paying such heavy tolls for opposing the Boltons while they had been unable to aid them for so long.</p>
  <p>"That is terrible news," The Lady of Winterfell in exile said softly. "And a damned shame. I will have to visit Castle Cerwyn at some point to pay my respects and to thank them for remaining true to our cause despite all it cost them."</p>
  <p>Gaven inhaled sharply, his lips quivering slightly. "I am sure they would be pleased by that, my Lady. Especially if you bring their killer to justice."</p>
  <p>"That's my every intention," Sansa declared. "Now, I imagine Ramsay increased his dreadful tactics if he has convinced them to move against us now. What exactly happened?"</p>
  <p>"I don't really know all the details, Lady Stark," The stableboy responded. "But I do know that Lord Ramsay has taken his sister Jonelle Cerwyn, the only living relative of Lord Cley, as a ward, while making it abundantly clear that if he did not commit his forces in the battle against you, he will and I quote, "Make you wish you could have flayed her yourself compared to the torment I will put her through."</p>
  <p>Sansa glared, and not for the first time, wished that she would have cut off Ramsay's manhood during their wedding night when she had the chance. Then, her face set in a way that she was sure reflected what she was feeling: a grim determination and a desire for retribution.</p>
  <p>"In that case, I suppose that your Lord had a more understandable reason for betraying his oaths to my House than the Umbers and Karstarks," The redhead admitted. "It still makes him our enemy in the coming battle but...in light of this, we may spare him the executioner's ax if he survives the approaching conflict. And if it comes to that, I will make sure he knows he will have you to thank for this, since you were the one that brought all this to our attention."</p>
  <p>Gaven bowed. "Thank you, M'lady."</p>
  <p>Lord Rodrick then took that moment to address the servant. "Do you know when Ramsay was expecting the Cerwyn bannermen to reinforce him? Or perhaps were?"</p>
  <p>"I tried to leave while I still could, my Lord, so I don't know the where," He replied. "I do know he said speed was of the essence and that they were to regroup with his Bolton forces tnear the entrance of the Wolfswoodthat very night...or face the consequences."</p>
  <p>"Wait, if that's true then that would mean they have already bolstered their ranks," Ser Royland said in alarm as he stared at the moon from one of the windows. "They may actually be marching to attack us sooner than we thought."</p>
  <p>The room grew silent at that, its mood tense. Rodrik scratched his chin then turned to his Master-at-arms. "Go. Make sure our troops are not slacking off. Then double our patrols and come back once that's done. We will need to discuss if we are going to alter our battle plans."</p>
  <p>"Understood, sir." The knight said before moving towards the gates.</p>
  <p>Once he was out, the ruler of Ironrath looked back at the servant boy and smiled. "I thank you for coming all this way to warn us. You may stay as an honored guest of House Forrester for as long as you need."</p>
  <p>"Thank you, M'lord, you are most kind," He replied with a grateful bow.</p>
  <p>And with that, he was dismissed to go to the kitchen in order to receive a warm meal, just as Josera Snow started entering the hall. Sansa narrowed her eyes when she noticed her truth-sensitive necklace gave her an ice-cold sensation when she noticed his arrival but she was soon distracted when Gwyn Whitehill sighed deeply.</p>
  <p>"It seems Ramsay has not just been busy menacing my House in the last few days."</p>
  <p>That made everyone in the room turn to look at her. "What happened?" Asher asked with concern as he noticed her blue eyes starting to cover in tears.</p>
  <p>She sniffed for a moment but then took a deep breath to compose herself before looking at Rodrik. "As I told you during your visit to my ancestral home, my brother Torrhen was sent to foster at Winterfell under Roose Bolton before the siege began. But like Ramsay decreed, the war between our families was to end as far as he was concerned once either the Lord of Ironrath or the Lord of Highpoint would fall and the other one was left standing. It seems that once you succeeded, Rodrik...the new head of House Bolton decided that meant my brother's life was forfeit," She revealed, her lips quivering as her eyes puffed. "That...that monster sent me his flayed skin on a box."</p>
  <p>Sansa grimaced as the room turned quiet, understanding better than most in attendance how she must be feeling. Asher shook his head, his eyes visibly angered but then he focused on Gwyn once again and saw the pain that was eating her up. And so, he embraced the woman he was once betrothed to, trying to offer a little bit of comfort. She teared up even further but didn't hesitate to hug him back as his siblings looked on.</p>
  <p>So, the Lady of Winterfell in exile decided to focus on Josera and on Talia and Rodrik Forrester, trying to gauge their reactions. The young woman seemed conflicted at the sight before her; which made sense given that the grieving woman before her had helped them as much as she could, despite all pain the Whitehills put them through. Rodrik, on his part, stared at his brother for a long moment before letting out what sounded like a resigned sigh. Meanwhile, Josera seemed to be measuring Gwyn with his eyes, or perhaps the leftover instincts of his bear familiar, before shrugging, seemingly finding nothing to cause him to object.</p>
  <p>Eventually, the two of them broke away but remain with their eyes locked, seemingly coming to an unspoken understanding when Asher nodded and took her hand to kiss it, which made her smile. Then they started to walk together towards the Lord of Ironrath, with Gwyn taking the lead.</p>
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  <p>Once they were face to face with the eldest Forrester, they took a deep breath and held hands. "I know that my relationship with Asher has brought your House problems, even before the siege." She admitted. "After all, it was our romance, so reviled by our respective parents, that made Lord Gregor decide to cut his losses and banish Asher to Essos when we were 17, in order to stop our bloody feud from escalating. And for a long time, I was heartbroken, fearing I would never see him again."</p>
  <p>Sansa raised an eyebrow as she heard that part of the story for the first time but her own expression softened when the redhead saw Gwyn turn back to Asher looked at him with clear devotion in her gaze.</p>
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  <p>"But he is back now," She said with a growing smile. "And I have come to realize that neither time nor distance could dull my feelings for him. So, as the new Lady of Highpoint, I would love nothing more than to put this conflict behind us and work to mend our wounds through marriage...if you still want me, Asher."</p>
  <p>He put his other hand around hers and nodded firmly, his eyes shining. "Of course I do, Gwyn. I never stopped loving you."</p>
  <p>Then they both turned to look at the Lord of Ironrath, clearly hoping for his blessing. Lyanna Mormont also seemed particularly interested in what he had to say, given the intensity of her own gaze. Rodrik interlocked his fingers as he took a long moment to measure his response in silence, his expression all but unreadable. Then he sighed.</p>
  <p>"Some of our peoples may become more than a little outraged by this," He replied. "But, personally, I am sick and tired of our ancestral feud and I refuse to be the one to start a new one within House Forrester by executing the last Whitehill as a foolish attempt to end it," The Lord remarked while staring at his brother with a knowing look. "I know my dear sibling well enough to understand that I would lose his loyalty with that move and with good reason. Because you are right, your relationship may have caused us many problems in the past but I truly believe that no one else has been able to make Asher happy as you have. So, I am inclined to give you my blessing."</p>
  <p>Before they could speak, however, Rodrik raised his hand in a quieting motion. "That said, at the end of the day, the members of House Whitehill still broke their oaths to House Stark, whether by action or inaction. As a result, I would like to be certain that my rightful liege does not have any objections."</p>
  <p>Everyone turned to look at Sansa as her eyes widened slightly at becoming the center of attention under such circumstances. But soon enough, she calmed her expression and focused on the unlikely couple. She could read their nervousness plainly on their body language as they waited for her verdict. It didn't take her long to organize her thoughts as she decided to take a gamble.</p>
  <p>"Well, first of all, I have a confession to make," The Lady of Winterfell in exile announced as she grabbed her pendant with one hand. "This necklace is actually enchanted with a very special property: the ability to warn me through changes in temperature when someone is lying while I can hear them," She said, which clearly peaked their interests based on the looks of shock across the room. "Useful, I know. As you can imagine, this is not a secret I usually reveal lightly but I have decided to let you all know because, while it's true my initial reaction to you was tainted by the betrayal of your family, it didn't take me long to realize that you were being completely truthful with your apologies. In fact, I hadn't sensed you say a single lie this entire time."</p>
  <p>Asher's eyes sparkled at the news, his smile widening as everything started to sink in. Sansa returned the smile and took a deep breath as she addressed the Lady of Highpoint. "As a result, I certainly believe that you truly love him, despite the old feud between your Houses. So, in the interest of keeping the peace within the Wolfswood region and because I just can't break away such a lovely couple," She added with a grin, "I, Sansa Stark, rightful Lady of Winterfell, officially pardon you, Gwyn Whitehill, of any guilt you may have had when your family rose against me. Let's work for a brighter future together."</p>
  <p>The last Whitehill sniffed, crying tears of joy. "Oh, thank you so much, my Lady! I swear I will work hard to honor the faith you have placed in me."</p>
  <p>Sansa smirked as her necklace revealed her sincerity once more, feeling good with herself. "That is good to hear. Now, what are you waiting for, Asher? Kiss your betrothed!"</p>
  <p>The greatest warrior of Ironrath chuckled at that as he stared at the women he loved. "It would be my pleasure," He said before the two joined their lips, embracing with all the love they could feel.</p>
  <p>Sansa felt her heart fluttered, as she stared at the joyful sight. "<em>So this is how a century-spanning family feud dies,</em>" She thought with a smile. "<em>With a passionate kiss.</em>"</p>
  <p>Then she sighed, as she imagined her future wedding to her beloved brother.</p>
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          <p>Well, I know this could have felt as a bit of a detour somewhat, but like I keep saying, there is a method to my madness. The Forresters are kind of important for some of my plans of a Post-Bolton future for the North in this alternate reality and a big part of that was just shown here. Now the influence of House Forrester has increased with their new connection to Highpoint through a political marriage that also happens to involve a couple that love each other, as it is clear in the Game of Thrones Telltale game. And between that their alliance with House Glenmore through Rodrik's wife...well, the balance of power in the Wolfswood region is starting to change, if you were to ask Lord Glover. More on that later though.</p><p>For now, I hope you liked the chapter and I will try to update one more time before the end of the weekend if I am able. Until then, see ya in the comments XD</p>
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<a name="section0067"><h2>67. Echoes from the Past</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: My apologies for the delay. A dog bit my right hand in the park almost 3 weeks ago and it has been slow to heal. In the meantime, typing for long has been painful so I was avoiding it while on the mend. Between that and some other things in RL that have kept me busy, I was unable to focus much on the next chapter but thankfully, here is the next update now and it is also one of the longest chapters I have made so far. Not the very longest, but close.</p><p>Anyway, hope you enjoy it. Loads of important information in this chapter but know that we are almost done with the info dumps in this arc and that Jon and Sansa are seeing each other soon. Until then, I hope you enjoy the ride and if you do, then please leave a comment. Have fun!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>King Jon blinked rapidly as he heard the proclamation from the High Priestess of the Temple of the Moonsingers, especially because it implied this prophecy, which apparently involves him, dates back to Old Valyria itself.</p><p>"Well, that is not something you hear every day," He ended up saying, before realizing the irony of his words due to recent events at the very least. "So, I believe some explanations are required." He said while keeping his expression neutral.</p><p>The high priestess, who introduced herself as Shallan Ravad stared at him for a moment, her penetrating gaze clearly taking his measure.</p><p>
  
</p><p>Eventually, she took a deep breath and nodded before heading to the table where Jon and Tycho had been discussing the terms of his agreement with the Iron Bank. There, passing her hand over the surface to make sure it wasn't dirty or wet, she unrolled the old scroll she brought into the room.</p><p>The secret god followed, with Nestoris close behind and he took a quick glance at the parchment. The material was ancient but the letters were still very clearly visible. It was obvious that this scroll had been given great care over the centuries.</p><p>"Before we begin, may I ask you, my King, what do you know about the Moonsingers?" She asked.</p><p>Jon sighed, feeling a bit embarrassed at his very limited knowledge of the topic given the unexpected situation he found himself in. "Not much," He admitted. "I can't say your religion is commonly seen in the Westeros in general or the North in particular so I have never had much reason to learn many details about it. All I really know is the temple of your religion is the largest on Braavos and if I were to harbor a guess, I would imagine the moon plays a vital role in your faith. But I am afraid you have me at a profound disadvantage."</p><p>If the High Priestess was surprised or disappointed by that admission, she didn't show it. Instead, she nodded respectfully. "An educated guess, to be sure. Yes, our people worship the moon goddess and many of our religious rituals and festivities are celebrated by song. Sharing with you the precise details of our theology, however, is not important right now. After all, we have long suspected that when the time came for the omens to light the way to the most promising candidates of our oldest, unfulfilled, prophecy the portents would show us that the chosen would not be from our religion. As a result, your ignorance about our beliefs was expected."</p><p>"I see," The King of the North and the Trident said slowly. Then he shrugged.  "Still, I would like to hear a bit about the...magical blessings your deity grants you," He said, his thoughts going back to his meeting with the R'hllor. "Ever since my resurrection at the hands of a Red Priestess, I have discovered I have been blessed with some magical abilities myself so I am curious about what your people can do."</p><p>"Ah, yes, the Lord of Light and the boons he grants," Shallan muttered. "An interesting deity, to be sure, though not the one we Moonsingers prefer to worship the most nor in the way most Red Priests would approve."</p><p>Then she shook her head as if trying to gather her thoughts. "Well, some of the Moonsingers are born with a deeper connection to our goddess," The raven-haired woman went on. "Most commonly, that is shown in a capacity to receive visions from Mother Moon that help guide us as we walk into the mists of the future although sometimes, we are born with the ability to help a sick or injured body heal from its ailments faster than it would have otherwise. Speeding the process along, sot to speak. That power still has limits, of course, but it certainly helps ease suffering, and since it is a much rarer blessing, it's not uncommon for High Priestesses to be selected from that lot when a community produces someone like that. In this case, me," She clarified.</p><p>The secret god's eyes widened in dawning realization. "Ah. I did wonder if it was common in your religion to have such a... young-looking High Priestess. No offense intended."</p><p>Ravad chuckled. "None taken. I get that a lot. But yes, the uncommon blessing my goddess granted me is one of the reasons I was picked as the High Priestess of this decade. Once my years of service expires, I would give way to my successor. And after that, hopefully, the Moon Goddess would grant me children that would be blessed in more ways than one."</p><p>"Understood," Jon responded with a curt nod. "So, what is this prophecy about, and what exactly makes you think it refers to me?"</p><p>"All valid questions," Shallan said in agreement. "That said, to explain it properly, you must understand a few things first about the origins of Braavos itself and of how the Faceless Men originally arrived at the secret city in the first place."</p><p>Then she turned to the high ranking officer of the Iron Bank. "Do you want to explain how the shadowy assassins came to be before reaching Braavos or should I?" She asked politely.</p><p>Tycho Nestoris shrugged. "I suppose it would be more proper if I do, given my bank's mutual partnership with them."</p><p>With that, he took a deep breath. "The infamous society originated in the volcanic slave mines of Valyria, prior to the founding of Braavos, a few centuries before the Doom itself. Some of the precise details have been lost to us through the passage of time but the tale of its beginnings center around a figure of unknown origins who was the first Faceless Man. This man heard the prayers of the slaves to their various gods and came to conclude that they all prayed to the same god "with a hundred different faces", the Many-Faced God, and that he was that god's instrument." The keyholder explained. "This led to him giving "the first gift" to the most desperate slave who cried out for release among that hell on earth. Later, the first Faceless Man discovered another slave praying fervently for his master's death. He granted the prayer in exchange for that slave joining him in serving the Many-Faced God.</p><p>"Eventually," He continued with a proud smile, yet with some grimness around the edges, "these ancient Faceless Men later brought the gift to the Valyrian masters as well. There have been all sorts of stories surrounding the cause of the Doom of Valyria, as I am sure you have heard, your grace. However, the little known truth about the cataclysm, as detailed in some of the oldest records from the House of Black and White, was that they assassinated too many of the mages who maintained the spells controlling the chain of volcanic mines known as the Fourteen Flames. After that protection failed to hold back the tide any longer, the Doom erupted to the skies so high that even dragons burned. And as they say, the rest is history."</p><p>"Seriously?" the young king muttered with a wide-eyed look. "The Faceless Men were also behind the utter destruction of Old Valyria?"</p><p>"Indirectly," The banker clarified. "If the greedy Valyrian masters hadn't forced countless slaves to over mine the volcanoes they wouldn't have needed to depend on wizards to contain the worst of the fires. And even after realizing the dangers, they kept digging, increasing the scale of the eruption waiting to happen. So, it was their endless lust for wealth and abundant arrogance that ultimately doomed them. Those Faceless Men simply gave the final push that destroyed the most powerful slavers the world has ever known."</p><p>The King in the North and the Trident took a moment to swallow that information. It certainly offered its fair share of cautionary tales and highlighted the historic influence of the Faceless Men even further. And if he was honest with himself, knowing that they were responsible for destroying all the mighty dragon-riding families except for the Targaryens in a single assault did make his newfound godly pride feel a bit less shaken when taking into account they were the ones that defeated him with that ambush and not less impressive mortals.</p><p>"Well, forgive me if it is a sensitive topic but now I have to ask: did Braavos commission that attack against the fire mages that ended in the destruction of the Freehold or not?"</p><p>"I don't blame you for being curious, King Jon, but I am afraid I must say that we simply do not know," The keyholder responded. "The Century of Blood that followed the Doom was full of carnage, warfare, and chaos, and many records were lost in those days, even in Braavos. If a Sealord was the one that commission such a decisive blow then it was either done in secret or we have simply forgotten by this point. All I can tell you is that when pressed by some members of our institution, I have heard the response "Sometimes, there is a greater joy to be found in labor done for free."</p><p>Jon scratched his chin as he analyzed that then shrugged. "Well that's another enlightening historical mystery you have clarified for me, and for that, I thank you," He said with a nod of respect towards the high-ranking banker. "However, I think we are starting to get off-topic. What else do I need to know about these topics so that I can understand the prophecy you brought?"</p><p>At that, Shallan Ravad drew his attention to the ancient scroll itself. "Well, that would involve some explanations that detail how was it that a group from the original Faceless Men discovered Braavos while it was still a secret city," The High Priestess said. "</p><p>"All right then," Jon said, wondering how many more historical mysteries that would have Maesters drooling would he end up learning before returning to the North. "I will bite. How did that happen?"</p><p>At that, the Shallan gave him a wide, knowing smile.</p><p>
  
</p><p>"That's where we come in," She said with a note of pride in her tone. "You must have heard that Braavos was founded by a large group of former Valyrian slaves that took over a small fleet during a mutiny and sought to escape the Freehold. What is usually less commonly known in Westeros, however, is that a group of enslaved women from the lands of the Jogos Nhai prophesied where they would find shelter: a lagoon behind a wall of pine-clad hills and sea stones, where frequent fogs would help hide the refugees from the eyes of dragonlords passing overhead. These women were Moonsingers blessed with visions from Mother Moon and, as proven by Braavosi history, their prophecy became true. It is for that reason that the Temple of the Moonsingers is the largest in all of Braavos."</p><p>Jon nodded slowly as he took that new piece of information in but said nothing, urging her to go on. Shallan took a deep breath and then motioned him to approach the table. Jon did and looked at the unfolded scroll once more.</p><p>"As I have said, some of the Moonsingers are born with an affinity for visions of the future," The raven-haired woman went on. "Normally, their prophecies are short, gained from vague bits of insights they gain from peering into time. However, many centuries ago, a High Priestess of the Moonsingers was enslaved by the Valyrians and forced to work on their mines around the time the original Faceless Men were arising and one day, in particular, her visions got remarkably more specific than usual, empowered by what she called a "powerful tremor that was shaking the foundations of magic and fate, echoing back to her own era," She recited.</p><p>The secret god tried his hardest to keep his face neutral but inside his thoughts were reeling, going back to the explanation the R'hllor had given him about his ascension making a prophetic quake that affected the visions of prophets across the present and even the past. </p><p>"That sounds...fascinating," He ended up saying. "What happened next?"</p><p>"Next, the deeply exhausted and desperate woman encountered one of the original Faceless Men," Shallan said grimly. "She had heard of the release they had been offering their fellow, hopeless slaves, so she offered him her newfound insights into the future in exchange for granting her peace. She just asked for them to eventually record her prophecy because she could foresee that one of their future students will one day make it to a city to the north where a "new, grand temple of her faith will be finished and where they would manage to find shelter even from the Dragonlords. "</p><p>Jon raised an eyebrow. "That sounded a lot like Braavos when it was still hidden and the Moonsinger Temple that has been constructed here."</p><p>"Indeed," The priestess said with a nod. "That was the first sign of many that led to the Faceless Men that would one day found the House of Black and White and the Moonsigners from that period to take this prophecy seriously and make multiple copies of the scroll, even though that one on the table is the original."</p><p>"Well then," The King of the North and the Trident said as he interlocked his fingers, "That sounds like enough background. What did the prophecy actually say and what leads you to believe I am the one it talks about?" He demanded to know.</p><p>Ravad took a deep breath and turned her eyes to the ancient document. "First of all, we think you are a candidate to that prophecy because my distant predecessor told the Faceless man that she foresaw the arrival of a sorcerer-king to a secret, northern city, hidden by fog from the eyes of Valyria hundreds of years from then. Moreover, the Moonsinger proclaimed that this ruler would ride a dragon that breathed ice instead of fire and would come from an ancient bloodline with more kings in its past than most families in history."</p><p>"Huh," Jon said with widened. "Now I am starting to see why you are so sure about my role there. That was oddly specific."</p><p>"Exactly," Shallan said with an amused smile. "Besides, you are not just a king yourself but also a Stark. And the Starks have been kings of the North for most of the last 8,000 years. Kneeling before Aegon the Conqueror not-withstanding, it only took 3 centuries before the Starks started producing kings again, first with your brother Robb and now with you. Between all of that and your capacity to performs feats of sorcery, I truly believe you are the main candidate for this prophecy."</p><p>The secret god couldn't find it in himself to disagree. But then he caught onto what she had said. "I am sorry, but what do you mean by the main candidate?"</p><p>"That there are 2 other candidates in the vision," She explained. "And if anything, that makes me more certain we are referring to you because the signs that point out to the other two candidates are also visible enough in this era."</p><p>"You don't say," He muttered. "Alright then, go on."</p><p>At that moment, she looked at him with hopeful eyes. "Well, the key aspect of the prophecy is that this ancient Moonsinger foresaw that the arrival of this sorcerer-king at that once-hidden city would herald the beginning of the end of slavery where the land of Essos meets the narrow sea, because of the power of his domains, the alliances he would make and his desire to use his strange dragon to liberate people, instead of enslaving them, to say nothing of the powerful magic at his disposal."</p><p>There was absolute silence in the office of Tycho Nestoris for a long moment after that proclamation, with Jon trying to swallow the enormity of what she was saying. Eventually, he shook his head as if to clear it. </p><p>"You...you mean to tell me that your prophecy foretold that I would also be one of the main architects to abolish slavery across the Free Cities that face the Narrow Sea?" He asked with surprise in his tone.</p><p>"That's what has been foretold, yes," Shallan explained. "Which is why this scroll is known as the Prophecy of Liberation. And yes, I know it sounds like a gigantic, next-to-impossible task but the omens look clear enough on that front."</p><p>"I...I don't know what to say," He muttered. </p><p>"Then just listen for now, as the prophecy is not over yet," She suggested. </p><p>Then she took a moment to read a section of the scroll, probably to refresh her memory, and turned back to him. </p><p>"Another important sign that shows the time of prophecy is at hand is the fact that it has been written that the first representative of the fog-clad but brave city who would be sent to aid and observe the Sorcerer King in his duties will be a descendant of an unworthy dragon and a goddess of love, beauty and fertility," The High Priestess declared. "Does that sound familiar?"</p><p>Jon's eyes widened. "Bellegere told me that she descended from one of the bastard lines started by King Aegon IV, also known as Aegon the Unworthy. Does that mean...?"</p><p>"We believe so," Shallan confirmed with a nod, "Especially because it is known that the original Black Pearl of Braavos that bedded that...notorious king, was the daughter of a Summer Islander Princess. Specifically, from one of the bloodlines that flowed from Princess Xanda Qo, who was claimed to descend from their love deity by her people during the Slave Wars. There is no other descendant of an "unworthy dragon" that fits this omens so completely so, we do believe the famed courtesan is meant to be our first Braavosi representative to your court."</p><p>Jon rubbed his forehead, more than a little overwhelmed by all of this. "I guess the signs really are clear on that matter then.</p><p>Then he shook his head. "I am sorry if my reactions were not what you expected. It's just that I think I need some time to digest all of this, and what it will entail."</p><p>"I understand completely," Shallan said in an empathetic tone. "It is a grand duty that the hands of fate are asking of you, after all. And it is getting late after a very long day for you. I suppose we can continue tomorrow if you prefer."</p><p>Before Jon could find it in himself to agree, one of the guards burst into the room. He looked at Tycho Nestoris with a frantic look. </p><p>"Sir, the Ice Dragon is starting to wake up, and while they asked for it after it ran out in large enough quantities, the next shipment of milk of the poppy hasn't arrived yet. One of the Faceless Men securing the area asked me to escort his rider to the Ice Dragon so that he can hopefully calm him down before it starts wreaking havoc on the city."</p><p>Jon sighed. "It seems rest will have to wait. Lead the way, soldier."</p><p>And with that Jon gave Shallan a polite nod as he thanked her for bringing all of this to his attention before hurrying to prevent unnecessary damage to the city. </p><p>Tycho and Shallan stared at each other for a moment. </p><p>"Did you managed to come to an agreement on the military alliance between his kingdom and Braavos?" She asked.</p><p>"Yes," The banker said with a nod. "And I didn't mention that our alliance could be defined as one of the many omens in that scroll. He saw the wisdom in the prospect and said yes anyway."</p><p>"Another sign that we are on the right track yet,"</p><p>Another pause then the keyholder went to the window and stared at the horizon. "Are you going to tell him about our prophetic suspicions regarding Daenery Targaryen?" He asked without turning back.</p><p>"Eventually, of course," Shallan replied. "But recent events seemed to have left our main candidate more than a little overwhelmed and for good reason. He could use some time to take things slow before we drop more heavy revelation on him. Besides, he still has to reclaim Winterfell and it could be argued that we have delayed him too long as it is."</p><p>"Hmph," The servant of the Iron Bank muttered. "You have a point there. Try not to wait too long though. And I am not just talking about the omens regarding the Dragon Queen but also about who you really are to this new sorcerer-king. We don't want him to feel manipulated either, especially not by us."</p><p>"Naturally," Shallan said in agreement. "It has been a pleasure. You know where to find me when you need me."</p><p>And with that she turned to leave the room, pleased with herself once again that her moon goddess had deemed it fit to let her live in the time period where her most cherished prophecy would get fulfilled. </p><p> </p>
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          <p>Okay, so I know this was a long one with a lot of information but it was a very important development for some of my long term plans for across the Narrow Sea after Jon consolidates his rule but before the Army of the Dead crosses over (which is hard for them to do without a dragon of their own, or else they would have crossed sometime in the last 8000 years the Night King had been alive, gathering his forces)</p><p>At any rate, I hope you enjoyed it and know like I said, know that a Sansa &amp; Jon reunion is coming soon, among other things. So, please be a little more patient and we will get there. I know you have been asking for it for a while but as they say, first things first, right?</p><p>Also, I would like to point out that, while my cast of characters is huge, one of the reasons I am going with the story arc system is to focus on certain characters more than others on specific arcs. In other words, don't expect me to give next to equal screen time to all my secondary and OC characters all the time as future arcs get written. Sometimes they will juts be doing stuff off-screen, so to speak without getting actual appearances while I concentrate more on specific groups of characters in a given arc.</p><p>Finally, know that yes,  if you read the content of the books between the lines, the Faceless Men were indeed pretty much responsible for the Doom of Valyria by killing the fire mages that contained the eruptions of their volcanic mines. It's one of the clearer theories that are not directly said in depth but that is pretty much a given when you analyze the details. </p><p>Anyway, hope you liked it, everyone. Leave a comment if that was the case and until next time guys, see ya!</p>
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<a name="section0068"><h2>68. Of Longing and Hesitation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well here is the next chapter. I have a feeling it would have a development or two that will particularly please a few of my regular readers, heh. Anyway, I hope you like it.</p><p>As always, read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sansa Stark made herself comfortable as she laid down on the bed of her guest room that was offered by House Forrester. She had just washed herself in a relaxing bath and was now wearing some fresh clothes while she attempted to fall asleep, the covers and the candles keeping her warm enough throughout the chilly weather.</p><p>As she listened to the wind howl outside her window, her thoughts turned back to the discussion they had about increasing their patrols and keeping the warriors in the camp outside the gates of Ironrath vigilant while they determined whether or not to move the battlefield; now that they were certain that the Bolton forces were approaching with even larger numbers than when they defeated Stannis' army.</p><p>Biting her lower lip for a moment, she stretched a bit and rolled to the side, and once again, she felt the absence of her beloved brother in her bed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She stared at the flames of the candlelight for a long moment before sighing deeply. She missed Jon terribly. She knew he had many important things to do now that he was king and of course she would be happy to see Arya again after so long but she wished he didn't have to be away for so long. Her heart ached for his presence beside her.</p><p>And she missed his touch...</p><p>Swallowing hard, she decided to try to mentally link her mind with Jon once again, concerned that she might just encounter worrisome silence again. Instead, she felt a mild and momentary jolt of pain on her head that passed as quickly as it came.</p><p>"Ouch!" Sansa groaned. "What was that?!"</p><p>She didn't gain a direct answer from Jon's voice but somehow she could have sworn that she felt his presence, unlike the last time she tried to contact him. But it felt distorted, like talking underwater.</p><p>"He...must be busy," The redhead realized. "I am not sure with that, though."</p><p>Then she sighed once more and before she could stop herself due to the prospect sounding too weird, she started praying to her new Incest God.</p><p>"Please Jon," She whispered into the night. "Give me a sign that you are safe and sound."</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>King Jon Stark stared at the city of Braavos from the high window of his guest room within the Iron Bank's headquarters. It took a lot of mental concentration through the mental bond he established with his Ice dragon but eventually he managed to calm him down long enough to communicate that he should go spend the night in one of the tall mountain peaks close to the city in case he didn't want to be there right now after they got attacked.</p><p>Then he got an...unexpected response. His dragon didn't respond in words to him but he could strongly sense her feelings of attachment towards him and an instinctive urge to stay close now that she was awake enough to remember the ambush. Realizing his mighty she-dragon was not going to budge without an indirect wish to change her mind, and not wishing to deny her now that she was worried for his safety; he told the guards and the present Faceless men what he could interpret from their empathic bond. After a long discussion where Jon assured them she would behave if no one else bothered her while he himself was close by for the remainder of his stay, an instruction he did ask of her, they eventually decided to let her spend the night from the rooftop of the Iron Bank headquarters, directly above the room where her rider would be sleeping.</p><p>At first, there was a deep sense of unease at the idea but Tycho Nestoris vouched for him while also telling his colleagues that this was an excellent opportunity to visually inspire confidence in the strength of the Iron Bank if the Ice Dragon stood watch above their building, even if only for one night.</p><p>And so, Jon ended up turning in for the night, and as he started to contemplate the sudden events of the day, he realized he wasn't even sure where to start. So many surprises in so little time. But of one thing he was certain: he felt like he needed some peace and quiet to sort out his feelings on some of the more shocking turns the day sent his way.</p><p>Especially the ones about the Prophecy of Liberation...</p><p>Sighing, Jon realized that there was probably one more conversation he should stop putting off before he could call it a night. So, before he could talk himself out of it, he made a wish to let him know if Arya was still awake and if she was alone. When he got confirmation as an answer, he rubbed his forehead and made a wish to be able to mentally communicate with her before he could change his mind.</p><p>"<em>Arya...are you alright?</em>"</p><p>There was a long moment of silence before he heard a tentative whisper inside his head.</p><p>"<em>Jon? Is that you?</em>" She asked slowly.</p><p>"<em>Yes,</em>" He responded. "<em>I have been negotiating with the Iron Bank of Braavos since I woke up. Not sure how much they told you but know that things are looking up here. Still, I wanted to check up on you. I am...sure you must have questions,</em>" He said with his thoughts in a hesitant tone.</p><p>"<em>Maybe one or two,</em>" Arya told him in a bewildered tone. "A<em>fter all, it isn't every day that your brother becomes a god of incest, of all things. And what exactly did you do to me? One second I was trying to make sense of that bitch's death rattles and the next knowledge starts flooding my mind, making me realize with perfect clarity that you have somehow become divine. A strange area of divinity perhaps but still!</em>"</p><p>Jon sighed. "<em>That wasn't how I actually wanted to let you know the truth. I wanted to break that revelation into you, well, a little more gently. Not that I don't know you are not a strong and brave young woman, but all the same, getting such a confession should have been taken lightly. However, I must admit I lost my temper with that acolyte as she laid dying, still confident that our brutal murders were soon to come that I wanted to, well, shake that smugness out of her eyes.</em>"</p><p>With that, he took some time to explain some of the inner workings of new godly powers and how he received them from a higher deity that apparently was not from their world. When he was starting to explain the part about his limits, he could feel Arya's shock from halfway across the city.</p><p>"<em>Wait, so, in order to make a wish that affects the world around us, you also need to include me in the sentence somehow</em>?"</p><p>"<em>Or Sansa</em>," The King of the North and the Trident explained. "<em>Or another living relative of ours. The point is, I cannot make wishes, not even those that include myself alone, without involving my family in some ways. That's one of the reasons the mightier deity decided to call the Incest God as it granted me those powers, I suppose.</em>"</p><p>Arya paused. Then he could start feeling her apprehension from his room so vividly that he almost heard her swallow.</p><p>"<em>And the other reason he called you that would be...?</em>" His little sister asked, clearly picking up that he was leaving something unsaid.</p><p>The young god bit his lower lip, worried about her reaction but realizing he couldn't bring himself to lie to her now, especially not after being separated for so long, so he decided to get it over with and hope she wouldn't be disgusted.</p><p>"<em>The other biggest reason I can think of involves why I specifically stressed that my powers must involve a living relative, at least right now,</em>" He beamed out with his thoughts. "<em>To make a long story short, in order to fully unleash my powers and overcome the limits that allow me to resurrect people, I need to impregnate at least five women that share my blood. Only after they all give birth will I be able to start bringing people back from the dead.</em>"</p><p>For a long moment of absolute silence, Arya was completely at a loss for words. Jon sighed, waiting with concern as his little sister's mind spun in response to her shock. But then the silence got so long that the new king wasn't sure if he should break it himself.</p><p>The wind blew through his window and he tried to make the outline of the House of Black and white from there, trying to keep his sister within his sight, so to speak. In the end, he felt her thoughts reorient themselves and before too long, she started beaming them at him.</p><p>"<em>Jon...I...</em>" She broke off and the young king could picture her taking a deep breath. "<em>I can't deny that I would love to see father, mother, and Robb again, alive and well. In fact, in my travels, I actually once asked a red priest that managed to revive Beric Dondarrion 6 times if it would be possible for him to do that to our father even though he lost his head. When he said no, I lost the little bit of hope I clung to back then. But...even if you can restore those dreams for me, I can't say I seriously think of you that way,</em>" Arya responded, sounding guilty. "<em>And besides...having children as a requirement? That's just not me. I am sorry Jon but...I am not sure I can help you.</em>"</p><p>The young god sighed but didn't felt surprised. In fact, it went even better than he had been expecting.</p><p>"<em>I had a feeling you would say that,</em>" He assured her in an empathetic tone. "<em>Don't worry Arya, I wouldn't dare force you to share my bed and bear my children if that is not what you want. I love you too much for that.</em>"</p><p>"<em>Thank you for understanding,</em>" She said in a small voice.</p><p>They were quiet for a while, a very awkward silence passing between them. In the end, however, he sensed Arya sigh heavily through their temporary mental connection, and sound filled his head again.</p><p>"<em>Jon...I think I need some time alone to think about your words and what they may come to mean for our future,</em>" His brave sister thought out, her tone seemingly overwhelmed for once.</p><p>He sighed, realizing there had been a lot of that to go around today. "<em>Of course. But, are you sure you are safe there?</em>"</p><p>"<em>Safer than ever, actually,</em>" She said, a small trace of amusement in her tone. "<em>I have never seen the Faceless Men so apologetic when talking to me. It seems this mistake in their interpretation of their visions is really preying on their conscience, which is notable, given their reputwtion. I did get some explanations before they started their Ceremony of Identity to release me from my obligations to their order but you can tell me more about what I missed tomorrow, I hope.</em>"</p><p>"<em>Sure. But before you go to sleep, I actually have some good news that may interest you,</em>" He said, still not sure how he himself felt about it but suspecting his sister would be happy. "<em>It seems the prophecy involving me also mentioned Bellegere, do to her ancestry from both Summer Islander royalty and from one of the bastard lines of King Aegon the Unworthy. So, it would appear she is coming with us when we return home.</em>"</p><p>"<em>Wait, really?!</em>" Arya asked, suddenly really pleased. "<em>That's...good to know,</em>" She said quickly as she tried to quell her mental enthusiasm.</p><p>Jon chuckled at that. "<em>Good night Arya. I love you.</em>"</p><p>While staring at the outline of the House of Black and White, he could almost feel his sister's grin. "<em>I love you too Jon. Things may be stranger now but I am so glad we are back together again.</em>"</p><p>And with that, Jon closed their mental connection.</p><p>As the heaviness of the silence hit him, he looked back at the empty bed and realized that he felt lonely. So, after the weight of all the revelations of the day, he decided to give himself permission to do what had occurred to him these past few hours.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Sansa was having a strange dream. Starting with the fact that she felt like she knew for sure that she was dreaming. And that rarely happened to her. But by the time she realized it, she felt like she was walking through the ironwood forests near Ironrath at a speed she had never been able to achieve. And then she came across a small lake. Feeling out of breath, the redhead decided to get approach the water source and drink her feel, hoping that would refresh her despite the unusual situation.</p><p>But then she saw her reflection on the water...and only saw Lady's face.</p><p>Abruptly, she woke up when she saw a sudden burst of light hitting her eyelids. Feeling disoriented, she rubbed her eyes as she turned to face the new day.</p><p>And then she gasped. "Jon?!"</p><p>Her beloved brother smiled widely at her, his expression warm with affection. "Welcome back to our little pocket universe Sansa. I am sorry if it was sudden but...I really wanted to see you."</p><p>The redhead's face grew into a radiant grin and she got up to hug him, feeling truly delighted.</p><p>"I missed you so much!" She whispered into his ear.</p><p>Jon sighed and moved to kiss her forehead, the brush of his lips making her heart flutter.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"I know. Me too."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Guess who's back, back again XD</p><p>Anyway, yeah, it seems the reunion I have been mentioning happened before the battle of the bastards. One of the perks of being a god that can teleport, dimension travel, and make sure they go back to their respective bedrooms before they are noticed, I guess :P</p><p>Hope you liked the chapter! And the one that comes next, when's its ready, that is :D</p>
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<a name="section0069"><h2>69. Interlude: Part 4: Schemes from the Depths*</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, here is the next Interlude chapter. I just want to add before we begin that over here, we will finally start picking back up an important side plot from Story Arc 2, chapter ten. Took a while to position my characters in a moment where I could finally start talking about that on-page, as it were, but now that we are here, I hope you find the developments intriguing. </p><p>As always, read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Pyke: The Iron Islands</strong>
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</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Euron Greyjoy, King of the Iron Islands, opened his eyes. Interlocking his fingers, he stood up and pondered the latest visions he received from the Seastone Chair. Then he took a deep breath and called for the guards directly outside his otherwise empty throne room.</p><p>Once they were inside, they bowed, from fear or respect, he wasn't sure but in the end, it mattered not. By now, rumors had started to spread that Euron had become the first king in many centuries to receive multiple visions from the Drown God through their unspeakably ancient and suddenly trembling throne, so that he could best guide his people. Even if they found him terrifying, the guards would be inspired by that to serve him well.</p><p>If they knew what was good for them.</p><p>"The Drowned God just spoke to me once more," He proclaimed his group of guards. "He wants me to make use of the prisoner I brought with me to Pyke for my coronation. Bring him to me. Oh and, make sure he is dressed in all of his...colorful regalia. It will be important for the ritual."</p><p>"As you wish, my king," Said the captain of the guard and they turned around to exit the room.</p><p>After that, the throne room became silent once more and Euron took that moment to stare once more at the imposing Seastone Chair.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He always knew that he was destined for greater things, even if that ancient raven with three eyes ended up rejecting him. And now that he had become king with the approval of his men and even their god, it was only a matter of time before he brought the mighty Lords of Westeros to their knees.</p><p>"And not even the new King of the North and his Ice Dragon will stand in my way," He vowed.</p><p>Beneath him the Seastone Chair responded to his oath with a tremor. The Ironborn King took a moment to smirk at that before standing up of this throne, heading to the fireplace  to prepare the first stage of the ritual.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>A quarter of an hour later, Euron Greyjoy watched as the doors to his throne room opened and his guards brought his prisoner before him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>He leered at him. "Hello again, Harkon. Do forgive me for waking you up at this hour of the night. But you at least managed to get a bit of sleep, I hope?"</p><p>The recently tortured Red Priest stopped groaning in pain as the guards dragged him to his feet. Then he slowly looked up from the ground and swallowed as he stared at him sitting atop the Seastone Chair.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Please," He groaned, suffering from wounds inflicted upon his flesh. "If you aren't going to keep your end of our bargain then just let me die."</p><p>The King of the Iron Islands raised his hands in a seemingly confused gesture. "Let you die? Why would I do that?"</p><p>"You...you said..." He broke off.</p><p>"I said that if you agreed to use your rare magical talent for me that you gained from whatever it is this so-called Lord of Light truly is, I would stop torturing you," Euron said in agreement. "I never said I would set you free."</p><p>Then his jovial tone vanished from his face as he glared him down from his throne. "After all, you were part of the group of Skagosi pirates that stole MY suit of armor made of Valyrian Steel I claimed during my dangerous travels to the Ruins of Valyria. That's not something I would easily forgive."</p><p>"I am...sorry," Harkon said for what seemed like the 100th time.</p><p>"Yeah well, I am bored about hearing your apologies by now," He said with a dismissive gesture. "But like I said, while you are still imprisoned as part of your sentence, I could still issue a royal pardon to set you free eventually. But I am going to need you to perform that useful magical trick of yours more than just one time."</p><p>"For...how long?" The pained Priest of R'hllor asked.</p><p>"Until I am convinced you truly are sorry," The Greyjoy King responded. "Now, on with it, go to the fireplace. You know what to do," He urged before looking at his guards. "Leave us."</p><p>The fearful man sighed but nodded and stood up, just as his escort exited the hall for the time being. Euron tilted his head, watching him move as he approached the chimney.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The King of the Ironborn scratched his beard, this time trying to find out if he could somehow provoke another useful vision as a reaction of foreign magics being performed so close to the oily, mysterious stone that made up the Seastone Chair. But nothing of the sort happened. Still, he got an involuntary shiver down his spine, as if the oily black stone did not appreciate the fire spells being casted in its proximity and was trying to compensate.  </p><p>"I suppose I shouldn't be surprise at that, since fire and water do not mix well," He thought before standing up and walking towards the fireplace. "<em>Oh well, it was worth a try.</em>"</p><p>Euron watched the broken shell of a Red Priest, strange enough as it was given that he was from Skagos, struggle to concentrate on the spark of magic he could still sustain through the teachings of his religion and he started feeling a bit nostalgic. Ever since that ancient raven with three eyes started appearing in his dreams so many years ago, he had developed a bottomless curiosity for sorcery. That drive only got stronger when his dream-like visitor, whom he now suspected was one of the last greenseers left in the world, rejected him as his potential apprentice.</p><p>"<em>And all because I was more curious than horrified at his visions of an army of the dead preparing for their war against the world,</em>" The Greyjoy King scowled.</p><p>So, ever since he started traveling across the world, he made sure to learn as much as he could about the arts of magic when strange artifacts and even rarer wizards or priests crossed his path. In fact, Harkon was not the only sorcerer he had imprisoned under close watch in his dungeons. He also took some warlocks from the House of the Undying, for example, and started learning some of their ways, whether they wanted to teach him or not. And soon enough, he will be able to take full advantage of them all.</p><p>But for now, it was better if he followed the visions to light his path to power.</p><p>Euron took a deep breath as he saw that the stoneborn had finally managed to concentrate enough on his magical talent to reshape the smoke and flames from the fireplace into the blurry image of a man.  </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The King of the Iron Islands smirked as he realized one of his mute prisoners had rushed to answer the call as well. </p><p>"<em>A properly beat-down thrall is truly the most trustworthy creature in this world</em>," He muttered in a philosophical tone before getting closer to the chimney. </p><p>"Report," He commanded, knowing from experience that the other former red priest he enthralled long ago through the Iron Price could actually make his voice heard through this magical form of communication that was employed by a select few of their order, despite being mute.</p><p>The fiery form seemed intimidated by him, which made his smirk wider. "My king," He said slowly. "After the...unfortunate deception we received from the Faceless acolyte we now know was Arya Stark, we tried to search for the stolen dragon egg as you requested. I am afraid to say that, unlike your second order, that task is impossible for our current means. It is being guarded in a vault by the Iron Bank, and if I were to guess from the rumors on the street, they will be given to the new King of the North when he heads back to Westeros."</p><p>Euron scowled but he wasn't particularly surprised by that development. The window of opportunity for that recovery was very narrow and its retrieval would raise too many questions anyway. "You better have good news to report regarding my second command then," He said in a cool tone, leaving the threat hanging in the air.</p><p>The figure of flame and smoke actually swallowed in fear, despite being thousands of miles away, within the Free City of Braavos. </p><p>"Of...of course my king," The temporarily reprieved mute said. "It took some time but it helped that most of the Faceless Men were scattered and busy around the city. And the signs from the guiding visions you shared with us were of use too. We have retrieved one of the faces that Arya Stark used on herself as a disguise. It should be one of those that would be subtly, but surely magically tied to her blood by now. I am not sure what ritual you intend to do with that, my king, but if blood, magic, and a sense of identity are crucial components for it, then it should work for your purposes."</p><p>Euron nodded, pleased. "In that case, leave at first light and head back to Pyke. Better put some distance between you and the Faceless Men before they realize one of the faces she used is mysteriously missing."</p><p>The King of the Ironbron chuckled when he saw the fiery man, in what would normally be a majestic and esoteric sight, squirm. "Oh, don't look so worried. They have no reason to suspect a bunch of battered mutes. So, the sooner you hurry, the sooner you can put those concerns behind you, like the rising tide."</p><p>"As you command," He said slowly, nodding. "We will arrive as soon as we possibly can."</p><p>"See that you do. And Baelix, you already failed me once in trying to secure that contract in time so, I suggest you don't fail me again with this new task," He uttered, adding menace to his tone.</p><p>Before his thrall could reply, he looked at the Skagosi red priest beside him. "That's enough for today. Sever the connection."</p><p>And with that, the flame and smoke crumbled back into the firepit, no longer in a human-like shape. Harkon gasped for breath at that, clearly strained by the efforts.</p><p>"I will make sure you are given a better bed and finer food so that you can recover some of your strength," Euron allowed. "And remember," He added before calling for him guards. "If you want me to accelerate your royal pardon faster than these magical communication spells will permit, then I suggest you actually start telling me more about your friends that escaped with my Valyrian steel suit of armor." </p><p>The Skagosi said nothing as he was dragged away by his escort back into the prison. Then, Euron caressed the seat of the Seatstone Chair, seeking to convey his appreciation.</p><p>"Thank you for your guidance, my Drowned God," He said with a short bow. "I am not usually the praying type. More often than not, it is my sails that inspire men to pray. However, I will make you a promise right here and now: if these visions you have shown me regarding such an incredible ritual actually come to pass, I will erect the finest temple in your name the Iron Islands have ever seen."</p><p>Then he smirked fiercely and stared at the waves outside his window. "Two can play at the same game, Jon "Stark". You'll see. And then, the depths will have you."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, this chapter had quite a bit of info, didn't it? To clarify some of the highlights:</p><p>1. The red priest magical communication through their fire magic is actually a rare talent from the followers of R'hllor in the 2012 Game of Thrones RPG video game, (no, not the Telltale one, another) which, actually, was a lot more based on the books than the show and George RR Martin was somewhat involved in so I consider its details canon until expressly proven otherwise in the main books.</p><p>2. The theory that Euron was actually a rejected candidate to succeed Bloodraven with greenseer potential is a fairly popular one among book readers, just so you know if you have only seen the show.</p><p>3. Yes, Euron also had a full-on Valyrian Steel suit of armor in the previewed chapters from the Winds of Winter book but, as I implied here, the Order of the Emerald Weirwood from Skagos ended up stealing it from him and that was when Euron captured this magical agent of theirs and has tortured him into submission, except for actually revealing accurate stuff about his secret society. More on that later.</p><p>4. Yes, Euron is also receiving visions on a semi-regular basis when he sits upon the very ancient Seastone Chair. This means a major deity on the Planetos board has an active interest in guiding King Euron against the newest god of their world. As for whether it is the Drowned God like he believes or actually the Great Other manipulating Euron...well, read to find out!</p><p>Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I will have more Jonsa content for you in the next chapter when I have time to work on it Until next time, please review.</p>
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<a name="section0070"><h2>70. Story Arc Six: Pacts of Salt and Snow*</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello there. Sorry for such a long delay in the next chapter. What started as some additional Covid-related delays turned into additional setbacks when I got a commission for a new story while also starting to co-write another project. The former will be posted soon enough in Archive of Our Own and it has over 10 chapters already on Chyoa, while the latter is another version of this Incest God story but with Luke Skywalker from Star Wars gaining the powers, which you can already find on my profile over here with 4 chapters posted. </p><p>As you can imagine, all of those additional chapters and coming up with the future plans and outlines took me a considerable percentage of my free time. But here I am now with a new update and story arc for my main fic. So, I hope you enjoy it along with the Jonsa content therein and, again, sorry for the delay.</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sansa Stark hummed happily as she washed her hair once again on the warm swimming pool.</p><p>Her beloved brother had finished catching her up with some of the biggest news he had to share from across the Narrow Sea, but as he had told her, there were more details to share. So, they decided to make themselves more comfortable before continuing. As a result, Sansa decided to use one of the swimming clothing pieces from last time and headed to the relaxing pool while her betrothed prepared them some drinks.</p><p>Sansa smiled. "Betrothed to Jon. I like the sound of that."</p><p>As if on cue, her beloved brother opened the door of the house he willed into existence for their comfort and approached her with two drinks in hand, his bare chest exposed to her eyes. The redhead stared at his figure, once more feeling a craving for his touch and he wasn't even fully naked yet. Shaking her head to clear it before her lust could prematurely boil over, she focused on the glasses he was bringing and grinned when she realized what they were.</p><p>"I see you have made me another piña colada," She said in delight. "Thanks."</p><p>Jon chuckled. "Well you did say that you loved the taste last time so, and you know what they say about things that aren't broke."</p><p>Sansa laughed merrily at that, then accepted the delicious beverage as her beloved joined her on the lower height level of the pool. "Indeed. But one day we are going to have to explore more sweet beverages that have been developed across different worlds. Just ones that are not that strong, like this one. After all, I don't like getting drunk."</p><p>"Sounds like a plan," Jon said with a smile. "Cheers!" He said while raising his glass. "To a bright future together."</p><p>Sansa felt her heartbeat race at that and matched his toast. They enjoyed the gulp of sweetness and sighed, locking eyes with each other for a moment of mutual affection. But then, she decided that she couldn't wait any longer to ask what has been on her mind.</p><p>"So, tell me," The Lady of Winterfell in exile said with a bit of trepidation "How did Arya react to learning of your ascension?"</p><p>Jon paused, shrugging with a bit of discomfort. "More than a little shocked, which is a change of pace when it comes to her. But to be honest, I think that wasn't what made her so surprised. Mainly, I believe she was feeling a bit overwhelmed at the idea that I had become a god of incest. I suspect she may have become profoundly less conflicted at the prospect of me becoming, I don't know, a god wolves or something. I don't know, but almost anything else."</p><p>"Yes, well, I suppose that can be a lot to wrap your head around, especially at first," Sansa said in agreement. "So, I suppose she is not interested in, errr, bedding you?" She asked with a deep blush.</p><p>"She...made it clear that she can't bring herself to have children, at least at this point of her life," Her brother explained slowly. "Personally, I think that was the part of the requirement for us to start reviving our loved ones that made her refuse. She may have been convinced if she just had to...you know, sleep with me," He said in an embarrassed tone. "But at any rate, I decided to respect her wishes. I am not going to push her into our marriage if she does not want to."</p><p>Sansa sighed. "That deity that empowered you seemed to have a complicated sense of humor if you ask me because this is a mess."</p><p>Then she laid down her now empty glass on the stone-like border of the pool and placed Jon's hand inside her grip. "But that doesn't change my desire to marry you and to bear your children, Jon," She vowed in a whisper while looking him in the eyes. "Even if I won't be the only one to share your bed when all is said and done, I know I will always have a special place in your heart."</p><p>Her beloved brother inhaled sharply. "What did I do to deserve you?"</p><p>Sansa smiled radiantly, brushing a wet red lock from her face. "I suppose we will have the rest of our lives to find out."</p><p>And with that, they locked their lips together, savoring their reunion. Eventually, they broke away to breathe, their faces flushed as they stared at each other up close. Then the redhead's eyes widened as she remembered something.</p><p>"Ah, that's right, I almost forgot," She realized. "Even if Arya doesn't change her mind later, I did found another potentially great match for you, in age, beauty, leadership connections, and family ties."</p><p>"Oh?" Jon asked with a raised eyebrow. "Who exactly did you have in mind?"</p><p>The Lady of Winterfell in exile chuckled, amused despite herself at the unusual situation she found herself in. So, she decided to entertain herself by teasing her beloved.</p><p>"Tell me," Sansa asked with a smirk. "When you went to the North Grove, just how attractive did you found Princess Val?"</p><p>Jon raised an eyebrow at Sansa's question, given the context and, especially, her amused smile. Still, he decided to answer honestly. "To tell you the truth, the first time I saw her at the North Grove, I realized it had been a very long time since I had seen a sight so lovely on the harsh lands beyond the Wall," The king admitted. "And...she may have flirted with me a bit," He added. "Why do you ask?"</p><p>The redhead's smile actually widened at that, which made Jon tilt his head in her direction, somewhat surprised at her reaction.</p><p>"Because," His lovely betrothed began, "I learned that Val is actually a direct descendant from Bael the Bard, the previous King Beyond-the-Wall before Mance."</p><p>The new god's eyes widened in shock, remembering the stories and songs he learned from his time with the Free Folk. "Wait, that would mean that we are actually directly related to her!"</p><p>"Exactly," Sansa said, sounding pleased with her discovery. "I made some calculations to trace our exact blood ties based on the 7 generations that have passed since our family line intermixed with Bael and realized that would mean Val is our 6th cousin. Now, I am not entirely sure if that amount of consanguinity is too distant to qualify but I guess that you can easily verify that by trying to make a wish that involves only her once you return to the Northern Wolfswood. If it works, then we will know she will be a viable relative to help us overcome the blocks around your powers, assuming she may be interested, that is."</p><p>"Indeed," Jon muttered, deep thought. "Well, as I said, she did openly flirted with me, so she may very well be, especially if I grant some additional land and resources to the Free Folk as part of the arrangement so that they are better cared for. Are you sure Val was telling the truth, though?"</p><p>"Well, my magical necklace didn't alert me of a lie," The Lady of Winterfell in exile said with a shrug. "So I imagine she was."</p><p>Jon scratched his chin. "Then it is certainly an option to consider, I suppose."</p><p>Sansa chuckled. "You don't have to sound so neutral about it Jon. I am well aware that Val is a remarkable beauty."</p><p>Jon lifted his gaze and stared at his beloved sister with ever-widening eyes. "Wait...are you telling me that you are...?" He broke off.</p><p>Sansa laughed a bit, although her tone was somewhat nervous. "A bit yes. I realized that back in King's Landing, when I started having, errr, lustful dreams about my new best friend there, Margaery Tyrell, that ended with me waking up quite wet between my legs. I never really acted on those feelings before and besides, I came to realize that I was still attracted to men more. But, in the time since learning of the incestual harem requirements that will be needed to rise to your full potential, I have started getting more comfortable with the idea, especially if you can share some of your other future wives with me...particularly Margaery."</p><p>Jon opened his mouth only to close it again, shaking his head as he realized both his sisters have at least a degree of attraction to women as well, to say nothing of her arousing hopes. And before he knew it, his cock hardened considerably within the shorter pants he believed were call swimsuits and Sansa started openly eyeing it from above the surface.</p><p>"Mmm," She hummed with clear hunger in her gaze. "It seems that little confession of mine got you all excited, brother dear. Why don't we continue this elsewhere?"</p><p>Unable to deny her, he stood up along with her and used his powers to dry the water from their skins and hair in an instant. His lovely betrothed chuckled, pointing out how convenient that was as she passed her hand through her magnificent red mane before she crossing the garden at a brisk pace. Jon took a moment to silently thank his fortune once more before following her, watching as her hips swayed behind him.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Before long, Sansa led him to the outer section of the house Jon made for their romantic getaways on the right side of the building, which led to a terrace that faced a garden wall of neatly arranged trees and leaves. There she turned back just in time to see Jon raise an eyebrow at the surprise she had prepared for him, while he was back inside, making their drinks.</p><p>"I see you moved one of the smaller beds here," He said slowly. "I take it you don't want to move this to the bedroom then?"</p><p>"What's the point?" She asked him with a wink. "We are the only people in this private little world of ours. That means you can fuck me out here in the open while being as loud as possible and there won't be any issue at all."</p><p>Jon's increasingly hardened cock made it clear that her beloved brother found it difficult to disagree with her logic. So, he started to remove his clothing in a rush, and before long, he was naked.</p><p>Then it was her turn to raise an eyebrow, however. "I see you have gotten a bit of a tan from the sun all over," She said, in a slightly surprised tone.</p><p>Jon shrugged. "Well, I have been directly exposed to the sun during all my flights on dragon back these past weeks, and sometimes I have even spent hours at a time above the clouds. I guess that's to be expected."</p><p>The redhead's gaze examined him all over before her grin widened evermore, hunger surely filling her eyes. "Not a bad look on you."</p><p>Then, she removed the rest of her own clothing aside from the gold bracelets he had given her as a gift earlier until she was fully exposed to her betrothed's lustful gaze, smirking as she did so. Before she could give him a chance to get closer, however, she climbed the white bed and placed herself on her hands and knees, and showed the man she wanted to marry just how dripping wet her cunt already was for him, which made him inhaled sharply.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Come on, my king," Sansa whispered in her best seductive tone as she turned her head to look back at his bare form. "Live up to your Stark name and fuck your mate like the dominant wolf I know you can be."</p><p>Jon groaned at that and he hadn't even touched her yet, which made her quite pleased with herself. Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long for her lover to move forward. In but a moment, he placed himself behind her ass and caressed her red mane to accommodate it above her back; at which point he fondled her neck softly, which made her smile widely. The future queen of the North and the Trident took a deep breath as her beloved's manhood touched her outer folds and then, started spearing her pussy all the way in.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>"Yes!" She screamed as loudly as she could. "That's it! Fuck me hard and fuck me fast!"</p><p>Jon took her request to heart, increasing his speed and penetrating her over and over again. Sansa moaned in ecstasy, feeling the pleasure only her godly brother could give her.</p><p>"We belong together!" She shouted to the open air, the pressure within her building up. "Your cock fits so perfectly inside me that it feels like this was always meant to be. Now, pound me until you need to use your powers to ensure I can walk tomorrow!"</p><p>Her king gasped at her titillating words and doubled his efforts yet again, penetrating her as if he was trying to carve the very shape of his cock within her inner channel. The redhead shrieked at that, loving the entire experience but she knew it wasn't to last. She had craved her brother's dick inside her since their duty forced them to get separated and now that he was screwing her for all she was worth, it was clear to both of them that they were going to cum soon; their breaths ragged.</p><p>This time, Jon didn't even ask for her permission to shoot his seed deep within her, since he knew her well enough by now to realize she wanted it all in, even if he had already told her before that he had made a wish to prevent her from getting pregnant until they were both ready for that. And as soon as she felt him shooting rope after rope of his white heat directly into her womb, Sansa howled in pleasure as the action moved her to her own climax; her breasts trembling as sweet bliss engulfed her body.</p><p>Soon, her beloved brother slowed down but remained inside her flooded cunt, while she panted for breath while grinning widely, her eyes surely glowing.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Thank you," She said with a long sigh. "I really needed that."</p><p>"You and me both," Jon replied, panting as well. "We may have our duty to our people to consider but I keep missing you by the side of my bed when I went to sleep at night. Hopefully, once we retake Winterfell, things will get easier on that front."</p><p>Sansa turned around as he removed his manhood from her wet cavern, an amused smile on her lips. "You mean, after you officially make an honest woman out of me?"</p><p>Her wonderful brother returned her smile and caressed her cheek with tenderness. "Of course. And hopefully, we won't have to wait soon for that. After all, every king needs his queen. And while circumstances may have forced us to come up with an unconventional arrangement for our marriage, I swear to you that you will always have a special place in my heart, my dear Sansa."</p><p>She started to tear up a bit at that, so she rubbed the back of her hand across her face. "I believe you. With all my heart."</p><p>And with that, the two of them embraced each other, kissing as if their lives depended on it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, I hope you enjoyed the ride on this one. I will be posting the next several updates much sooner this time around. But, as always, comments certainly help fuel my motivation and improve my creativity to write faster. So, while it has been a while now and for that I am sorry, I would certainly appreciate reading your reviews. </p><p>Until next time guys, see ya!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0071"><h2>71. The King and his future Queen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, here comes the second half of my smut sequence of chapters. What? You thought the last chapter was it for now? I did make you wait for a while after making the promise by getting extra busy. So, consider this a way of making it up to you all.</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Eventually, the two of them broke away to breathe but suddenly, Sansa noticed that her betrothed's face shifted into a knowing smirk.</p><p>"What is it?" She asked as she returned the smile, amused.</p><p>"Well, it's just that I remembered what you told me about using my powers to restore energy to the lower half of your body so that you wouldn't have trouble walking tomorrow if I ended up being too rough and I just realized that gave me an idea I would like to try out, if you don't mind," Jon replied.</p><p>The naked redhead chuckled. "Well, I am a little tired after you had your way with me but now I am curious so, go ahead...ooooh," She added with an abrupt shudder.</p><p>Suddenly, Sansa felt her exhaustion and soreness dissipate, replaced by a fountain of lust starting to leak from her thighs.</p><p>"Fuck," The rightful Lady of Winterfell swore as she stared at her brother's cock as it returned to hardness with hunger in her gaze. "So you can not only accelerate the growth of my sexual desires but also get rid of my soreness and tiredness from the last session? That's...convenient," She muttered with a moan.</p><p>"So it seems," Jon said with a gasp of his own as he stared at her hardened nipples and dripping folds.</p><p>Then he shook his for a moment and hurried to lay down on the white bed himself, before spreading his legs to her.</p><p>"Do you want to go on top this time?"</p><p>"Like you even have to ask," Sansa said with a groan of arousal as she climbed back on the bed.</p><p>Before long, she used her hand to place her beloved's cock in the right place and impaled herself on it as fast as she could.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The future queen screamed at the top of her lungs, the ecstasy she was experiencing at her very core spreading all over her sweaty, flushed body.</p><p>"Gods, this feels so GOOD!" She howled, as she increased her speed. "And it truly fits so well inside me I am starting to think you used a wish for that!"</p><p>The redhead couldn't see Jon's face because she had her back to him from that position but she did hear him groan in pleasure as she fell down on him over and over again.</p><p>"I have used my powers quite a few times by now but I swear to you that I hadn't cheated when it comes to the size of my cock," He promised. "We simply are...a great, physical match."</p><p>Sansa didn't have her necklace that detected lies at that moment but at that moment, she believed him with every fiber of her being, and it made her eyes rolled to the back of her head, screaming in pleasure to the heavens as she came, hard.</p><p>She started panting for a few moments as she recovered her breath, the still hard cock of her wonderful brother within her cunt. Eventually, she removed it from her folds, feeling the loss even then but still turning around to caress his face with a tender touch.</p><p>"I really do love you," Sansa said with a dreamy sigh. "So, if you don't mind, I would prefer to look into your eyes the next time you shoot your seed inside me."</p><p>And with that, she laid down on her back on the side of the bed.</p><p>Jon inhaled sharply at that. "Of course," Was all he said before moving so that he could place himself in position.</p><p>She spread her legs widely for him and the two of them locked their gaze, full of desire and affection for each other. And before she knew it, her beloved sibling found the mark and entered her willing pussy.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They both moaned at the contact, craving each other's touch as Jon increased his pace.</p><p>"So," Her brother said with a grunt. "Out of curiosity, aside from Margaery, would you like to pounce on any other attractive woman if given the opportunity?"</p><p>Sansa gasped as he penetrated her deeply when he finished the sentence. "Well... as I said, I do find Val attractive, so, perhaps her, if she agrees...fuck..." She swore as another thrust hit the entrance of her womb so deliciously. "If you end up bring in Sarella to the fold, then maybe her too, but I don't really know how she looks like or if she leans that way so it's hard to say."</p><p>Despite everything, Jon slowed down, chuckling.</p><p>"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that last part," He said, his tone seemingly amused. "After all, I learned she also likes both men and women, like you."</p><p>Suddenly, Sansa's vision was consumed by a mental image of a very attractive, half-naked Dornish woman and another woman devouring her pussy like she was starving.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The redhead gasped at that as her vision turned back to normal, and saw that her lover couldn't help but smirk at that. "That was Sarella," He confirmed. "I kind of, errr, learned of her preferences by accident as a poorly worded and timed side effect of a wish but when I broached the topic to her, she didn't deny it."</p><p>"I see..." Sansa said as she groaned in pleasure. "Well, I have to admit that she does look more than a little...fuck...beautiful," She added, the fire within her legs threatening to consume her. "Anything else I should know about now that we are on this topic?"</p><p>Her betrothed paused for a second, as if making up his mind about something but that slowed down his speed to a crawl, which frustrated her. "Well, I suppose I hadn't told you yet that when I first met with Arya on Braavos, I found her naked in the arms of voluptuous woman, and their room was reeking of sex."</p><p>Sansa gripped the sheets of the bed on instinct at that revelation, her cunt at risk of overflowing.</p><p>"What?!" She screamed, her pupils surely dilated. "And you were waiting until now to tell me?!"</p><p>Jon actually had the nerve to laugh. "Spur of the moment? Sorry."</p><p>Then, as if trying to make it up to her, he increased the pace one more, which made her moaned in ecstasy yet again.</p><p>"Oh, and remember the Prophecy of Liberation I was telling you about?" He said with a grunt. "Well, that woman I found Arya with, Bellegere Otherys, actually fits their omens better than anyone else for a section of their sacred scroll so, part of the deal with the Iron Bank was to bring her in with me back to the North as a Braavosi representative. And assuming Arya ever comes around, she did tell me that she would like to join us in bed if that happened so perhaps you might get quite familiar with her if that comes to pass," The new God of Incest told her as he trusted deeper inside her. "And just so you know, this is how she looks like."</p><p>And just like that, Sansa saw an exotic, dark-skinned beauty in her mind's eye, her thoughts drawn to her magnificent naked form.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Before the image was completely gone from her sight, the redhead moved her hand towards her outer folds and started to rub them as fast as she could. The future queen's moans reached a crescendo, the lustful thoughts that were flooding her mind making her grin in delight as she stared at her wonderous brother with desire in her gaze.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Oh, yes! Now that would be amazing!" She shrieked in joy as she fingered herself. "But if all goes well, you will have to satisfy us all so why don't you start with me? Fuck me as fast as you can!"</p><p>"As you wish my queen," Jon said with a groan, his face frowning in concentration. "Literally, it seems."</p><p>And with that, her beloved brother started fucking her with inhuman speed, the movement of his thrusts blurring with the next.</p><p>Sansa trembled with pleasure as he hammered away at her snatch, her eyes seeing stars as she started to experience a whole new level of bliss. Sansa locked her legs around her king and lover just in time to sense the familiar pressure building up within him. He gasped.</p><p>"I am about to...to..."</p><p>"Inside!" She howled, he eyes surely delirious with pleasure. "Fill me up right now!"</p><p>Jon didn't seem to need any more encouragement, for that was when he shot stream after stream of his cum right there and then. Their screams echoed across the yard of their private world, as they reveled in their passion for each other.</p><p>Then, after a few long moments, her brother dismounted her and started panting, her own ragged breaths not far behind.</p><p>"Jon?" Sansa called after a couple of minutes in silence.</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"We are going to be okay," She said confidently, her expression beaming with radiance. "I just know it."</p><p>He chuckled at that and kissed her lips tenderly. "With you by my side? I have to agree."</p><p>And with that, they headed inside the house to clean themselves up in a shared bath, using the advanced tool from another world that her brother discovered which was called a shower.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, I did promise some smut before the hiatus and I hope to have delivered with these past 2 chapters. We are heading back to more plot-centric developments in the next one. Until then, feel free to leave a comment down below.</p><p>Oh and before ai forget, for those that might be interested, I have posted the other Star Wars I was talking about and it is called Secrets of the Force: Incest Planet. Hope you like it if you check it out and like it happened with this story at first, I have several chapters in reserve that will get posted faster if I get more reviews. So, if you enjoy Star Wars and would like to see where that is going, feel free to let me know what you think there as well :D</p><p>Later!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0072"><h2>72. A Diplomatic Breakfast</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello there. With this chapter, we are officially getting back in full with the plot. Hope you like it. </p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>About half an hour after Jon woke up in the morning back in Braavos, he had finally made himself presentable and was about to break his fast with some important figures regarding their negotiations and what they had discussed the day earlier.</p><p>As he waited alone in the elegant but private hall, the secret god sighed a bit, realizing he missed Sansa already. But he really needed to finish the final arrangements with the Iron Bank quickly so that he could return to the North, so he schooled his features and shrugged it off.</p><p>And on the other hand, there was the idea that Sansa suggested to him before they separated, based on some of the information Lord of the island of Harlaw had shared with them...</p><p>"Ah, you must be King Jon," Said a voice that snapped him out of his thoughts as the doors opened. "It is very good to finally meet you.</p><p>The monarch in question turned around and saw a middle-aged man he didn't recognize walking besides Tycho Nestoris, the two of them dressed in finely weaved clothing of a similar style. The two of them moved to sit down on their chairs and gave him a polite nod.</p><p>
  
</p><p>"Pleased to meet you," Jon said with a nod of his own and waited for the man to introduce himself.</p><p>In the end, Tycho was the one that presented him to the King of the North and the Trident. "My colleague here is called Laro Etalas, your Grace, and he is one of the major spymasters of the Iron Bank of Braavos. We tend to consult with him and his vast network of information when working on projects sponsored by the Council of Secret Investments. As you can imagine, knowledge is power with things like this."</p><p>"Indeed," The secret god said in agreement.</p><p>Before they could go on, however, the doors opened once more and Jon raised an eyebrow before remembering that it made sense for Bellegere Otherys to also be invited, given recent events. She was wearing a black dress and gave him a polite smile before bowing her head slightly.</p><p>
  
</p><p>"Good to see you again, Bellegere," Jon said as he returned the nod. "I have been wanting to speak with you since I was informed that it appears you will be coming with us to Westeros."</p><p>"So it seems, yes," She said with a seemingly nervous tone. "I must admit I was surprised by those lines of the prophecy that seemed to apply to me, all things considered. And I am not entirely sure how good will I be as a diplomat but there aren't any worse ways to tempt the hand of fate than by defying prophecies, so I suppose I will do my best."</p><p>"I appreciate that," Jon responded in a soothing tone, sincerity in his voice.</p><p>"To be fair," Tycho interjected, "The omens only specify that you will the first representative we will send to the new court you will be forming, your grace, not that you will be the first and the last. If you need some aid from us to get accustomed to your new role for a while, all you have to do is ask. And if you decide after some time of service that you would prefer to take a different path, we can always send another diplomat to officially relieve you of your duties on that front. In the meantime, all you have to do is observe and send reports back to Braavos concerning relevant news that are not considered royal secrets by King Jon. That way, you can keep us updated, and then we will be able to provide additional aid with a more informed opinion."</p><p>The famed Black Pearl of Braaavos took a moment to analyze his words before glancing at him. Seemingly finding nothing in his expression that made him disagree with the banker's statements, she nodded back to the keyholder.</p><p>'Thank you for the offer of assistance," She replied. "I am grateful for it."</p><p>Before they could continue, the doors opened once more and Jon smiled when he saw Arya walking in, although his smile tense on instinct when noticing she was escorted by her old Faceless Man of a mentor, wearing the same face he had used when he had tried to kill them not so long ago.</p><p>"<em>How things can change with the wind,</em>" He thought to himself.</p><p>Arya, smiled back at him, although it had a bit of nervousness to its edges and he could imagine why, after their last conversation. Before he could come up with a subtle way to reassure her, however, her mentor approached him on the chair and closed his fist around his own chest.</p><p>"On behalf of the Order of the Faceless Men, I want to offer our most sincere apologies for the assassination attempt on your life," He declared. "As you know, unfortunately, we misread the signs and visions that led us to come to that decision. But know that now we understand you are of vital importance in the conflict against those abominations that call themselves White Walkers. Also, please understand that aside from the original aid that we will provide you indirectly through our agreements with the Iron Bank, the elder members are still discussing another way to aid you in the future. Once we have come to a unanimous agreement, we will send word of our decision to your court in Westeros."</p><p>King Jon remained quiet for a long moment as he contemplated those words, his fingers interlocked. But then, he lifted his gaze to stare at the elite assassin in the eye.</p><p>"In that case, apology accepted," Jon said in his best diplomatic tone. "And I am pleased to hear you are also quite motivated in helping orchestrate the defeat of the Army of the Dead."</p><p>Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Arya chuckled lightly. "Believe me, he is. And that's quite the apology coming from him, trust me."</p><p>Her former mentor frowned. "A girl remains disrespectful."</p><p>His sister just shrugged at that but said nothing, so he went to take his seat after a moment, with Arya following his motion. And once they were all seated, as if on cue, servants started entering the hall with plates and drinks in their hands. Jon's stomach growled a bit at the smell of meat pies and of deliciously buttered bread.</p><p>It seems his last night with Sansa had worked up an appetite in him...</p><p>"Shallan Ravad was originally going to come but a member of her congregation was badly injured in a boating accident and she decided to stay behind and use her magical talents to accelerate his natural healing," Tycho explained. "As a result, she offers her apologies for not being able to be here but she would like to have a brief word with you before you head back to the North on your Ice Dragon, if possible."</p><p>"I understand then," The King of the North and the Trident replied.</p><p>"In that case," Tycho said as he raised a glass of water. "Let's have toast. To profitable partnerships and new friends."</p><p>"Cheers," Everyone echoed as their raised their respective glasses.</p><hr/><p>A few minutes later, they had placated much of their respective hunger with the food they had been served and that was when they started discussing business. Much of it had to do with catching up some of their number on his discussion Tycho and mentioning some of their plans for the future. </p><p>In particular, Arya seemed pleased with her brother's plan to conquer the Iron Island to secure their borders from the raiders after Euron's assassination attempts, if her fierce smirk was any indication. The Faceless Man, who had told Jon that he could refer to him as Jaqen, took that moment to let him know they could compose a letter confirming that the new King of the Iron Islands had sought out their services to assassinate him, signed with the rarely used seal of their order, along with the more commonly used seal of the Iron Bank. Tycho echoed that sentiment since it would make it a lot easier to prove the attempted regicide to Jon's bannermen in order to justify his cause.  </p><p>The secret god took all of that in stride, nodding in agreement here and there but before long, he decided to see if he could fish for information that could help him implement the idea that Sansa suggested for him in time. And so, he turned to the spymaster.</p><p>"Since we are on the topic, I am curious, do you have any idea from your information network of the whereabouts of Yara Greyjoy, the daughter of the late King Balon?" He asked. "Last I heard, they had fled the Iron Islands with some of their best warships and will probably be seeking ways to take the crown she sought from her kinslayer of an uncle."</p><p>Laro Etalas tilted his head in the young king's direction. "As a matter of fact, yes. One of my spies reported seeing Yara Greyjoy and her brother Theon in a brothel in Volantis, a couple weeks ago. Based on what they were discussing, it seemed they were heading with their fleet to Meereen to try to make a deal with the Dragon Queen, Daenerys Targaryen. I would imagine part of that would involve using some of their ships to transport part of her increasingly large army and supplies for her invasion of the Seven Kingdoms."</p><p>Jon frowned. The more he heard about Daenerys Targaryen and her forces, the more he realized she could become a major problem to deal with if he wasn't careful, especially given that she had three dragons of her own. If she became deadset on taking all of the Seven Kingdoms, including his own domains that could easily escalate the situation into open hostilities. And for the time being, he had enough enemies to deal with as it was. </p><p>It was with that in mind that he decided to ask his next question. "Do you think they have already arrived at Meereen?"</p><p>"Unlikely," The spymaster replied slowly. "The wind is not that great along that region this time of the year and it has only been a couple of weeks, after all. They would have probably passed the entrance of the Slaver's bay by now, however."</p><p>The secret god scratched his chin, thinking. He already had a way out of his next few sentences in case their eventual reply was a negative but he still took a moment to ponder if he actually wanted to go through with it.</p><p>Then he remembered Sansa's face when she made the request of him along with her persuasive arguments. And he sighed. </p><p>"I don't suppose there are any Weirwood trees in any apothecaries, menageries, or private collections over here in Braavos, are there?"</p><p>Tycho raised an eyebrow, probably remembering the tales about his powers that he had disguised with that cover story. But it was actually Arya that replied. "Well, I hadn't seen any living tree but half of the door from the House of Black and White is actually made of Weirwood. Why do you ask?"</p><p>Jon took a deep breath and stood up. "Because I am not ready to deal with Daenery Targaryen's forces while I am still dealing with several major enemies back in Westeros," He declared. "So, I would prefer to deprive her of extra ships and of seasoned sailors while I have the chance."</p><p>"Sounds reasonable," Bellegere commented in a hesitating tone. "But how are you going to do that?"</p><p>"By making a few more deals," The new king claimed, before turning to Nestoris. "You want a demonstration of power to let you know your bank made the right choice in backing me? Then please follow me. It's time I show you one of my most useful magical abilities. And besides, it's about time Theon Greyjoy and I have a talk."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, that happened XD. More meetings and reunions abound in the next chapter. Hope you like it when the time comes. Until then, feel free to leave your thoughts on this one and see you later.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0073"><h2>73. Battle Plans, Diplomatic Aims, and Magical Might</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well guys, I really hope you enjoy this chapter because it's officially the longest one yet at 14 pages long. Not the longest by a particularly large margin perhaps but still, I am happy with how it turned out so I hope you are too. </p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>King Jon was heading to the House of Black and White with most of the group that he broke his fast with, the salty breeze of the sea hitting his nostrils as he stared ahead atop the boat. Along the way, Tycho Nestoris had separated from them to coordinate with the port authorities and the City Watch so that they could ensure that merchant and local ships would be momentarily diverted to other waterways within Braavos. That way, as the secret god had explained to him, it would minimize the risk that one of the ships he would magically transport to the area within and around the Isle of the Gods would end up crashing with the vessels of the people of Braavos.</p><p>And so, by the time they arrived at the island where the House of Black and White was located, the King of the North and the Trident could begin to see ships heading outside the Canal of Heroes, the Long Channel, and the Green Canal; being prompted by the outline of men of the City Watch from the shores of the canals.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"They will still take some minutes to clear the canals," Laro Etalas told him when he spotted him examining the orderly exit of ships. "But not too long. We Braavosi pride ourselves on our efficiency," The Spymaster added.</p><p>"That's certainly something to be proud of," The King replied with a nod.</p><p>Their conversation was interrupted when his Ice Dragon, who had been following them slowly from above, landed on the island close by, its large, sky-blue head looking around with narrowed eyes. Jon smiled at the mighty she-dragon as she examined their surroundings, happy that she was still looking out for him.</p><p>"So," Bellegere interjected after that, her tone of voice a bit hesitant, "Are you really going to use magic to transport an entire fleet of ships thousands of miles away to Braavos in the blink of an eye?"</p><p>Jon paused for a moment, before turning back to look at his little sister's first lover. Then he shrugged. "Technically, it is a bit more complicated than that," He lied, keeping his tone of voice even. "As I said back then, I need to be physically touching Weirwood tree wood to begin the process and the person I am aiming to transport along with everyone in their vicinity must also be near a bit of Weirwood themselves. Thankfully, my sister Sansa gave Theon Greyjoy a small figurine of a wolf's head made of that kind of wood as thanks for saving her from the sadistic usurper that still holds Winterfell," The secret god added, while omitting the fact that Sansa had suggested him to just use his powers to add such a carved piece to Theon's pocket while implanting a memory that made him think she actually gifted him that before they parted; insisting that not only would that help reinforce his cover story but that the memory would make Theon both happy and grateful, after he hesitated when she told him that idea.</p><p>"And then you will be able to bring forth all those ships? Just like that?" Asked the Spymaster, clearly hungry for details.</p><p>"Well, I will have to project my powers outward from Theon's position to, well, catch the entire fleet on my net, so to speak and that will make me a bit more tired than the last time I used this ability," The King explained. "But I can handle it, so, yes. Just like that."</p><p>"You certainly don't lack for confidence, your Grace," The high-ranking member of the Council of Secret Investments. "And if you can accomplish this, I could definitely understand why."</p><p>At that moment, Arya's former mentor scratched his chin. "Weirwood wood has always been associated with magical potential, if one knows how to harness it," Jaqen said. "In fact, one of the current Faceless Men has used those properties to great effect on occasion. I have never heard of anyone using them to do something like that, however."</p><p>Jon's first instinct was to placate the assassin's doubts with something because he suspected the man was particularly good at sniffing out lies and he was not interested in letting them know the origins of his real source of power anytime soon but his last comment gave him pause. He frowned, wondering why that sounded familiar.</p><p>Then it hit him.</p><p>"Wait," The King of the North and the Trident said with his eyes widened, "the Faceless man that sacrificed some of his blood in a clearly magical ritual to use his arrow to move it like it had a will of its own in all directions until it had wrapped those steel chains around my Ice Dragon...he was using Weirwood arrows, aside from that already rare dragonbone bow?"</p><p>Jaqen was silent for a moment, before nodding. "Your perception serves you well, Prophecied One."</p><p>"Thank you," Jon responded slowly, thinking back to the stories he had heard about Lord Bloodraven using magic to move his Weirwood arrows in ways that ensured he would always hit his mark during the First Blackfyre Rebellion.</p><p>"<em>And now that I know he ended up becoming Bran's Greenseer predecessor at that cave, I suppose there was more to those rumors than I thought,</em>" He thought.</p><p>Nodding almost imperceptively as he got an answer to that mysterious use of arrows that had been bothering him, he almost didn't notice Arya's hand on his. Then he turned to the side and saw her urgent expression.</p><p>"Jon, can I please talk to you in private before you begin?" She asked him.</p><p>He glanced at the others in their group for a moment, before returning his gaze to his little sister's. "Of course," He responded. "Please excuse me for a moment."</p><p>After their respectful nods, they moved about 30 steps away from the group and that was when Arya took a deep breath.</p><p>"Brother," The youngest Stark girl began, "I can imagine that now that you have become a king, not to mention a god, some of your priorities must have changed. You have our people to look after, and from what you said, a huge army wearing a different face of death that you must defeat for all our sakes. But, need I remind you that Theon betrayed us?" She asked in an angry tone. "He broke Robb's trust, robbed him of Winterfell at a critical time in his war against the Lannisters, and, worst of all, killed Bran and Rickon. I learned most of this after it happened, true, but still, are you really going to make a deal with him and his sister just to buy some time before you have to handle this Dragon Queen somehow?"</p><p>Now it was the secret god's turn to take a deep breath as he thought long and hard on how to respond to her. In the end, he placed a hand on her shoulder, his expression full of empathy.</p><p>"I understand how you feel," He said tactfully. "Robb was my brother too, after all. But first of all, know that Theon didn't actually kill Bran and Rickon. He couldn't find them and that's why the bodies he showed off were burned beyond recognition."</p><p>Arya's eyes widened in surprise and she started smiling excitedly. "They are still alive?!"</p><p>"Yes," Jon confirmed. "We still have to rescue Rickon from the Bolton army but you let me worry about that. As for Bran, he should be arriving at Castle Black soon so don't you worry, we will reunite with him as well in due time."</p><p>Then he sighed. "As for why am I willing to consider making a deal with Theon after everything else he did do...well, that has a lot to do with the fact that I used my new powers, at Sansa's prompting, to witness all the torture that he suffered at the hands of Ramsay Bolton."</p><p>She tilted her head at that, clearly not expecting that answer but still curious. "And?"</p><p>"And I have to admit that, short of execution, I am of the opinion that Theon has already paid for his betrayal very dearly," Jon confessed. "Ramsay is the most brutal monster that walks in the skin of a man I have ever seen, Arya, and I can't rid the world of him soon enough. All the torture, castration, and sick games with his mind left him repeatedly begging for death, and then Ramsay denied him."</p><p>"Then I suppose that...he hasn't just walked away from his crimes," Arya conceded in a begrudging tone.</p><p>"On that, I agree," The King said with a nod. "And that is why I am willing to make him and his sister an offer of alliance instead of just taking his head. Well, that and the fact he also found the strength inside after being broken by Ramsay to outrun his fears and rescue Sansa from Winterfell."</p><p>"Besides," He continued, "you know how the Ironborn are like. We do need to deal with Euron after his failed assassination attempt because that cannot go unanswered, not to mention the fact that as long as he is king, the western borders of the North and the Riverlands are exposed to constant raiding or worse, invasion. But it will be much easier to secure a lasting peace and to gain access to some of their resources and ships if I can make an alliance with Yara and make sure she is the Ironborn leader I have to negotiate with. And with Theon at her side advising her, things may go more smoothly, especially if I officially pardon him. Sansa assured me that he has been haunted with guilt over what he has done to our House so, in this case, I think reconciliation is a smarter move for the benefit of the new domains I was entrusted through Robb's will."</p><p>Arya was silent for a long moment as she considered his words but then she locked her gaze with him, probably so that she could look him in the eyes directly. After a few seconds, she sighed. "Very well, I trust you. And I have to say, that does make sense. But, maybe make him sweat a little before you reveal your intentions to grant him a pardon? For me?"</p><p>Jon chuckled. "Don't worry, I have a feeling that watching me, of all people, riding my dragon while staring at him will do more than that to him."</p><p>His little sister actually laughed at that, which made him smile, realizing he hadn't heard that sound of amused enjoyment from her in years.</p><p>At that moment, however, they were interrupted by the approaching steps of Tycho Nestoris. "Your Grace," he said with a nod of respect. "The canals are empty now, and we have started rallying the City Watch, our archers, and our navy around them in case the Ironborn start attacking in their panic, so I believe you can begin."</p><p>"Good," He responded. "In that case, I am ready."</p><p>The banker smirked. "I am looking forward to seeing this display of magic. I am sure it shall be...spectacular."</p><p>"I hope it lives up to your expectation," The secret god replied before turning around to the steps of the House of Black and White.</p><p>Before long, he had made his way to the top and started staring at the bone-white side of the door that was made of Weirwood.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He paused for a moment and made the show of slowly placing his hand on the gateway.</p><p>"<em>I wish that, in a few seconds, the entire fleet directly under the command of Yara and Theon Greyjoy is transported to the inner canals of the Free City of Braavos, with Yara's flagship appearing in the waters closer to my current position, without those ships colliding with one another, while the magical abilities that my sister Sansa now has growing a little stronger at the same time,</em>" Jon said, thinking of some of the wishes he had made for her in that regard so that he could activate the other section of the wishes he had worded; such as her ability to understand any language in the known world, and more.</p><p>With that, Jon turned around and raised an eyebrow, noticing that the wind had suddenly gotten much stronger and it had moved more than a bit of fog into the canal area.</p><p>"That's...strange," He muttered. "I didn't include that effect of the wish. Could it be just a coincidence or is there something in Braavos reacting to my powers?"</p><p>Before he could contemplate that possibility further, he heard countless splashes of water all along the canals, which made his mind return to the situation at hand. The fog dissipated as quickly as it had arrived when the winds strengthen and to Jon's widening smirk, he saw many, many ships as far as his eye could see.</p><p>And directly at the deck of the ship he had willed to appeared on the island, was a familiar face that gave him mixed feelings.</p><p>The secret god took a deep breath and climbed down the stairs as fast as he could.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sansa entered the Great Hall of Ironrath during the morning and stared for a brief moment. Even after all this time, Magash Char's height and intimidating armor still impressed her. Then she tilted her head, wondering when was the last time a Northern Lord had welcomed a giant within his great hall and offered her food to invoke the guest rights.</p><p>Shaking her head, she advanced as she looked around. All the living Forresters by blood or marriage were there, including the bastards, Josera and Elsara Snow, standing firmly beside their siblings as looked down on a map. Even Gwyn Whitehill was there, holding hands with her betrothed, Asher, which Sansa took as a good sign. Val was also around, the castle forged sword she had told her about sheathed around her hips. Near the giantess among them was Tormund, who was probably there not just to hear what was going to be said during the War Council but to translate to become Magash's interpreter in the Old Tongue. And of course, Lyanna Mormont was examining the map as well, the ruler of Bear Island keeping a calculating expression on her face.</p><p>"Hmm, I was expecting Lord Glenmore, Rodrik's father-in-law, to be here," She murmured under her breath, which the guardian beside her seemed to pick up.</p><p>"I saw him leading some soldiers through the gates of Ironrath about an hour ago," Brianne of Tarth whispered. "He must be busy with something important."</p><p>Sansa nodded to herself and approached the table, her protector close behind. Before long, she looked down at the map and noticed the additions that represented their forces and their estimates for their enemies' numbers, and pieces representing lines around the keep, starting at the top of nearby mountains.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Rodrik turned up to look at her. "Lady Stark," He greeted. "Thank you for joining us. I just wanted to discuss some of the battle plans with you so that we are all on the same page and perhaps make some modifications if anyone has any input to add."</p><p>Sansa nodded back, pleased at being included in the discussion. "Sounds good. Well, you know this region better than us, Lord Forrester. What do you suggest?"</p><p>"We don't have enough space within the walls of Ironrath to both bring the larger army you brought with you and our reinforcements from House Glenmore and House Tully, while also keeping our remaining stores of supplies for long," He declared flatly. "In fact, I estimate that we wouldn't last a week-long siege this time around. Regardless, it is a moot point, because we simply wouldn't all fit inside. Our walled town and keep is simply not as large as Winterfell and its own town I am afraid."</p><p>"So," Asher went on, "we are going to have to pick our battlefield outside the walls. Preferably somewhere where we can see the enemy approaching and that would make it hard for their cavalry to flank us but also close enough to the gates of Ironrath in case we need to make a tactical retreat."</p><p>With that, he pointed at the x they marked in the map and the blue-colored pieces that made up a line around the keep.</p><p>"After much thinking," Rodrik went on, "I believe it would be best to pick that spot for the coming battle. It's close enough to Ironrath if we need to turn back, and, while this winter has begun harshly, it has brought with it one benefit: the refilling of those two rivers that used to flow from those nearby mountains until it dried out a few years into the previous summer. They are not that wide, but they would still slow down any approaching cavalry charge considerably, which will allow us to react accordingly. To make sure we don't take chances, however, Lord Glenmore recently took plenty of men to start digging trenches beside the rivers themselves to make their approach even harder. Between all of this, our scouts, and the tall height of the giants, I believe we will be able to see any potential ambush coming before it can begin properly."</p><p>There was a long moment of silence as the others contemplated the plan, broken only by Tormund translating what was said to the giant chieftess, who was nodding slowly and constantly. Sansa shrugged almost imperceptively at that. Technically, she could understand the Old Tongue now due to the wording from some of Jon's wishes but, unlike her resurrected brother, she had no good way to explain how that didn't involve revealing her betrothed's godly secret so she just kept quiet about that. Eventually, Val nodded as well.</p><p>"Seems like a good plan," The Princess of the Free Folk said. "I especially like the measures taken to deal with his more numerous horses. I have been trying hard to increase the training of my people ever since I returned and King Jon equipped them with steel weapons but we all remembered how devastating the cavalry of King Stannis was when he moved against us."</p><p>Then she turned to Sansa. "We will gladly spill the blood of those Bolton scum that wants us all dead but the reality is that my forces will be much better positioned if we move against their infantry, mainly."</p><p>Suddenly, the sound of Magash Char hitting her furred cover chest resounded over the Great Hall.</p><p>"Giants...fight...horses," She declared with a thick accent; her vocabulary limited but clearly understanding enough to make that offer.</p><p>Val exchanged glances with Sansa and Rodrick before nodding vigorously. "That would be ideal. The giants would certainly be better able to handle a cavalry charge than we could and, unlike with the Free Folk, there is a considerable chance that some of their horses will panic at their sight and break formation."</p><p>Rodrik and Asher looked at each other after that suggestion before nodding and moving a tall wooden piece to the board in front of a figurine of a horse.</p><p>"Then the giants will counter their cavalry from the direction they come. We may have to adapt some of our formations depending on the exact direction they arrive but, thankfully, their tall legs allow them to move as fast as horses for a time so they should be able to adjust formations as needed. And thanks to our skilled blacksmiths and carpenters working day and night, most if not all of them will be equipped with simple but sturdy vizored helmets and ironwood shields. Between that and their long war hammers, they could probably smash through a cavalry, assuming they don't get outflanked from most directions.</p><p>Lady Lyanna nodded in agreement. "What about our bannermen? How should they be deployed?"</p><p>Asher looked at his older brother at that and he motioned for him to go on.</p><p>"Our respective infantries from Houses Forrester, Glenmore, Mormont, and Tully will be placed at the vanguard standing side by side with the rest of the Free Folk army," The most renowned warrior of Ironrath explained. "The archers will be placed directly behind them and someone will be coordinating with them when we want to let loose entire volleys of arrows at the same time. As for our own cavalry, thanks to the horses King Jon bought from Lord Harlaw and some of the ones he...transported from Riverrun, we now have nearly 400 riders-at-arms among our combined forces. We expect the Boltons to have much more, however, so, unless the Knights of the Vale and/or the reinforcements from White Harbor arrive before the battle begins, which seems unlikely given that our scouts report that the Boltons are less than a day away from Ironrath, I believe it will be best to keep them in reserve for the first few minutes of the battle, before moving them where they are most needed as the situation progresses."</p><p>The others mulled that over before nodding slowly at the sound logic. But then, Rodrik turned to look at Sansa straight in the eyes.</p><p>"In that case, all that is left to discuss is one very important detail," He stated. "When do you think King Jon will arrive astride his Ice Dragon, Lady Stark?"</p><p>The Lady of Winterfell in exile took a deep breath at that, having previously wondered when would they bring that up. "I imagine that my brother had to stay the night on Braavos after finding our missing sibling in order for his dragon to rest its wings," She said, unable to tell them details about his important negotiations with the Iron Bank delaying him because she had no way of explaining how it was that she knew that. However, assuming they can head back before noon today, I believe he will be able to reach White Harbor around dusk. There he might need to eat something while allowing his dragon to rest a bit but, after that, I believe he will be able to arrive at Ironrath at midnight at the latest, possibly sooner."</p><p>Rodrik scratched his chin at that, his expression thoughtful. "In that case, if Ramsay forces our hand into battle early once he arrives tonight, we will need to hold the line for a couple of hours until he arrives."</p><p>Then his expression hardened. "Which we can most definitely do. Now, brothers and friends all, let's go make the final preparations for the assault. At this time tomorrow, the North will be rid of House Bolton for good."</p><p>Sansa smirked at the shared sentiment and it grew when she saw it was echoed in the expressions of everyone present. And with that, the War Council was over and they started going their separate ways. However, before she could turn around, she noticed that Lady Mormont approached the warg among them, Josera Snow, yet again, presumably to talk with him about something once more. And yet he held a hand as he looked at her with an apologetic expression.</p><p>"I am sorry if this sounds dismissive, my Lady, but could you please wait a moment to continue with that discussion? I have need of speaking with Lady Stark."</p><p>Sansa blinked at that, while the young ruler of Bear Island shrugged. "Very well. I will wait for you outside."</p><p>And with that, she walked past her through the doors of the Great Hall, leaving the common area empty aside from themselves and Brianne of Tarth.</p><p>Josera turned back to her, offering a light smile.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"You have been spending some time with Lady Lyanna lately," Sansa noted. "Anything I should know?"</p><p>He shrugged. "Mostly, I have been answering her questions about warging and making sure my bear familiar understands that she is not to be harmed, since she has been quite fascinated with him."</p><p>"I bet," Sansa said with a chuckle. "I certainly know the feeling of interaction with the animal of your House sigil when it happens to be a majestic beast."</p><p>Josera nodded at that. "Still, sometimes I get the feeling that there is something else she wishes to ask me but has held herself back from that until now. Oh, well, I suppose she will tell me when it's important."</p><p>Sansa raised an eyebrow at that, wondering what could the blunt Lady of Bear Island have to say would make her pause. But she was snapped out of her thoughts by Josera's deep, calculating stare. Before long, he nodded with confidence in his gaze.</p><p>"I knew it," He said with a smile. "You have the spark too. I guess it makes sense, given your ancestry, and who your brother Bran became."</p><p>Suddenly, Sansa felt a chill down her spine, remembering the dream she had the night before...when she saw her reflection on a river and only noticed her wolf's face.</p><p>He must have seen the look of surprised realization on her because he nodded. "I began sensing it a couple of days ago but I wasn't until today that I truly feel that the spark is strong within you."</p><p>Then he stretched his hand. "We are far from equals in society," He acknowledged. "So, I hope I am not overstepping my bounds. But still, allow me to welcome you into the magical world of warging, Sansa Stark. I suggest I help you train a bit in the art before the coming battle."</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Aboard the deck of the flagship known as <em>Black Wind</em>, Theon Greyjoy felt his stomach lurch when he fell down after a sudden movement shook the vessel. Groaning, he stood up and heard countless shouts all around him before blinking rapidly. </p><p>"When the hell did we entered a channel?" He asked as he helped Yara rise to her feet. "We were less than 12 leagues from Meeren, in the open sea!"</p><p>"I...have no idea," His sister said in a disoriented tone, looking around frantically.</p><p>Then she tensed. "Wait...I know this channel."</p><p>Slowly, almost as if afraid to do so, she turned around and Theon actually saw his sister gasp in shock. Alarmed, he followed her gaze and his jaw joined hers on the floor.</p><p>"The Titan of Braavos?!" He asked, stunned. "But...what...how?" He babbled, unable to comprehend how they had gotten there.</p><p>Suddenly, Theon heard the loud flapping of wings. Too loud to compare it to any bird he had ever seen. But before he could turn around to look for the sound, he heard a voice he would have recognized anywhere.</p><p>"I am sure you have many questions," The familiar voice said. "I will be happy to answer them."</p><p>The former ward of Ned Stark swallowed as he turned around and the sight before him took his breath away.</p><p>Jon Snow was in front of him...while riding a huge, blue dragon!</p><p>The man's expression turned neutral. "Hello, Theon. It has been a while." </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, all of that happened XD</p><p>Hope you had fun with this one. Please leave a comment if that was the case and until next time guys, see ya!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0074"><h2>74. The Dragonwolf, the Krakens, and the Ancestors</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone. I got good news to go along with this chapter: today is the 6th month anniversary of my story since I posted it on Archive of Own! And to celebrate, I decided to give you a chapter today. It was originally going to be longer but electricity went out in my neighborhood for most of the day so I couldn't write until a couple of hours ago. So, to meet the deadline on my time zone, I divided the chapter in two. The second half should be coming soon. But for now, you can enjoy this one! Hope the awaited reunion within is to your liking :D</p><p>Read, enjoy and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Hours later, when Theon Greyjoy would finally find some private time to talk about the day's events with his sister Yara, he would have responded that, if questioned about how he felt in the first thirty seconds after they unexpectedly arrived in Braavos, to say he was completely and utterly stupefied would be a serious understatement. The Ironborn was stunned out of his mind, his mind going numb and refusing to send signals to the rest of his body as he stared at the sight before him, leaving him totally fixed to the spot. Even his lungs stopped working for a few seconds, such was his shock.</p><p>He stood, leaning against the mast of the <em>Black Wind</em> he had fallen against in surprise and holding himself up by placing his hands on it. Jon Snow, the famous Bastard of Winterfell that he grew up with after becoming a ward to Ned Stark, was riding an enormous dragon while staring at him with an unreadable expression. Theon couldn't even comprehend how it was that this came to pass or start to wrap his head around the fact that he must have somehow been responsible for bringing them forth and their fleet from thousands of miles in the blink of an eye. But as the seconds passed, he started to remember their past together in the North and how much Jon had loved his brother Robb.</p><p>Which in turn, reminded him of his own betrayal...</p><p>Before he knew it, he was walking closer towards the floating figures, his mind still a bit dazed. Behind him, he heard Yara call to him but looking back, he could not remember what it was that she had said. Probably something to the effect that when she had told him back on Volantis to kill himself if he truly felt he was so broken that there was no going back, this manner of suicide was not what she had in mind. Regardless, he pressed on until he was standing just a few feet near the dragon and his rider, forcing himself to look at Jon in the eyes.</p><p>The Northerner watched him approach in silence from his glorious mount, his expression as impenetrable as before, possibly waiting for him to make the first move. He didn't know if it was the shock that was hitting him in full force, the potential danger of the legendary beast rattling him, or perhaps the bittersweet memories of his youth, turned darker by his own actions. All he knew was that a swell of emotions gripped him tight and before he realized it, he had collapsed on his knees.</p><p>"I am sorry, Jon...for everything. Gods, I am so sorry..." He babbled, tears running across his face. "I should never have betrayed Robb or your father's memory. I should never have spit on your family like that. I am so sorry..."</p><p>There was absolute silence across the deck for a few seconds, aside from a gasp from his sister that probably steamed from surprise, as she had never seen the Bastard of Winterfell before and now could see he had somehow bonded with a dragon. Theon couldn't bring himself to care much about that. His focus was on Jon's face waiting to see how he would respond.</p><p>The answer started to come when he made a gesture with his hand and the dragon lowered its shoulder as it flew down slowly, which allowed his feet to touch the deck. He locked eyes with Theon for a moment longer, before his lips curled into a sad smile.</p><p>"I believe you," He responded in a calm voice. "Deep down, I don't think I was entirely sure until just now but yes, I truly believe you are sorry for what you have done."</p><p>He took a deep breath and offered him his hand. Theon's jaw dropped at that, unwilling to make himself believe this could actually be happening. But after a brief, paralyzing moment where he dreaded this could be a sick game like the ones Ramsay used to play on him, he allowed himself to dare hope and reach for his hand.</p><p>And when he didn't slap his own away before screaming in rage but actually lifted him up, Theon Greyjoy felt an unexpected sense of peace he hadn't experienced in a long, long time.</p><p>"We have much to talk about," He told him. "But first, I need you to help me calm down the crews of your sister's ships. "They are scattered all along the Braavosi canals and I want to assure them that, while I used my magic to bring them all here, I mean them no harm. But if they start to attack the Braavosi City Guard along the canals in their confusion, things might escalate needlessly. Do you have any signal you can send the ships that could reassure them?"</p><p>Before Theon could reply, he saw Yara approaching slowly, out of the corner of his eye.</p><p>"So...you are Jon Snow," The Ironborn Captain said in a wary but curious tone.</p><p>Then she shook her head as if to clear it.</p><p>"There's...there's my white kraken sail," She said, staring at Jon with a calculating but hesitant gaze. "My men know I only raise it when I want to negotiate with someone and thus lets them know that I will not tolerate raiding."</p><p>Jon scratched his chin for a moment, before looking to opposite sides of the canal ad all the ships scattered there. "That might work but we will need a higher ground for them to pay attention to it among all this confusion, along with a sign that makes it clear you are the one that authorized the use of that flag of truce."</p><p>Then, he hesitated for a moment before shrugging to himself. "Which means the most effective way to accomplish both things will be for the two of you to ride my dragon alongside me while I make a pass above the fleet, with the two of you showing your faces and the banner as well."</p><p>Theon's jaw dropped in shock again but this time, his sister's followed his. After shaking her head, Yara stared at him in disbelief. "You want us to ride that dragon of yours? Is that even safe for us? Wait, how is that even safe for you? You are not a Targaryen!"</p><p>"That's a long story but, as I said, this would probably be the fastest ways to calm your men before they do something in their confusion they might come to regret," Jon stressed. "And yes, I assure you that it will be safe for you to ride behind me as long as I deemed it so."</p><p>Yara tilted her head at that, her eyes narrowing. "Was that a threat?"</p><p>"A fact," He said simply, his tone even. "And a reminder that dragons do not react well to those that harm their riders."</p><p>There was a moment of tension as his sister and Jon locked their eyes with each other. Then Theon swallowed and hoped he was doing the right thing as he approached her. He placed a hand on her shoulder to catch her attention and then took a deep breath.</p><p>"Yara, I have no idea how Jon managed to bring us here but you saw the colossal Titan; you know where we are," He stressed. "And that means, if we try to fight our way out of here, we will be lucky if half of us make it out to the open sea. We really do need to make sure the rest of the Ironborn do not make that choice for us, at least until we can hear what Jon has to say."</p><p>She stared at him for a long moment, as if searching for something in his eyes, perhaps a hint of disloyalty. He hoped she wasn't disappointed with him but regardless, it wasn't long before she sighed.</p><p>"Bring the flag now," His queen ordered. "It seems we will be staying here a while. And I will be damned if I am not curious about what it is like to fly."</p><p>Theon nodded and hurried to the door that led to Yara's cabin. There, he quickly found the white kraken sail.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>He took a deep breath before grabbing it and turning back, his pace filled with a strong sense of purpose for the first time in a while.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Wait, what?!" Sansa asked, her eyes widened, as the full implications of what Josera had said started to sink in. "So, I am warg too?"</p><p>"I wouldn't say that if I wasn't sure, my Lady," The younger half-brother to Lord Forrester replied. "It took a while for me to make sense of the spark of the Old Gods in you, however. It felt a bit stunted until recently. Which made me hesitate to say anything before, because the only times I have heard of the potential for warging weakening to the point of never fully emerging again is in the rare cases when a very young warg just barely starts forming a warg bond with the animal they trust and like most, only for the beast to die violently before the talents fully develop," He explained. "As I understand it from the talk of camp, that's not quite what happened with your direwolf since I heard your father actually faked her death before sending her to recover with men he trusted, instead of actually killing her, as the late King Robert commanded. But I suppose that believing your first potential familiar was dead could have interfered with the growth of your warging abilities."</p><p>Sansa was quiet for a moment, taking all of that in and putting two and two together with her additional information; realizing that Jon's wish which enabled him to ensure Lady's rebirth must have started to restore their then stillborn warging bond.</p><p>"<em>And now that we have spent long enough in each other's presence again, my new...powers are blooming,</em>" She thought, her eyes widening again at the realization that she actually inherited actual magical powers in her own right and not something directly tied to her godly brother.</p><p>Which begged a few questions...</p><p>"Given some of my recent dreams among other things, I think I have reason to believe you," The Lady of Winterfell in exile admitted. "But...I must say I am surprised that my brother Bran became a greenseer and that Jon also gained strong magical abilities. I can't remember anything that would lead me to think my father was a skinchanger too and he certainly never told me any story about his own parents and grandparents having that gift. Does this magical talent skip generations sometimes? And where does the power even come from?" She broke off, hoping he would have answers.</p><p>"That it does," Josera replied with a nod. "Although it is a bit unusual for more than one sibling to inherit those traits in any given generation. Case in point, the fact that while all my Forrester siblings carry the potential in their blood, I am the only one of them that can actually warg."</p><p>"As for where you could have gotten it," He went on, "well, before going to the North Grove to help guard it, my father gave sister and I access to as many written references that talked about warging, and in my sister's case, blood magic due to the talent Elsera inherited from our mother. They were usually written by Maesters, Septons, visitors to the Wall, and the like, and I devoured those scrolls so that I could try to broaden my horizons in that regard. And what I can tell you from my research is that the power probably entered the Stark bloodline long before Aegon's Conquest, back when your ancestors were still expanding their rule over the present-day North and taking the daughters of conquered foes as wives."</p><p>Sansa raised an eyebrow at that. "Any specific examples you may know about?"</p><p>"Two of them, actually," The skinchanger responded. "For instance, I read that thousands of years ago, Rickard Stark, the King in the North of the time, killed the last of the Marsh Kings and married his daughter, thus annexing the Neck to the realm of Winterfell. That's important because, according to Spring, the Child of the Forest we meet at the North Grove and came back with us, humans first gained the power of warging and greensight due to countless unions between the First Men and members of that elder race in the thousands of years between their peace treaty in the Dawn Age and the coming of the Andals. And since most of the Crannogmen of the Neck are still somewhat short of stature because they were the society from the North with the highest concentration Children's blood within them, especially back then, it stands to reason that when the daughter of the last March King became tied to your bloodline, she passed her powers to her descendants."</p><p>"Huh," The redhead said slowly. "I did know that was how my ancestors annexed the Neck but not the part about warging coming from the Children of the Forest or their connection to the Crannogmen of the swamps. Interesting...what was the other example?"</p><p>Josera shrugged. "The details are more scarce about that one, but essentially, when the Starks conquered the peninsula of Sea Dragon Point so long ago, they took it from a monarch that called himself the Warg King. It seems he had a few daughters and they bore your own ancestors several children of their own, but I was never quite clear from the records I personally read if they were wards or wives to members of your House. Regardless of that, the result would have been the same: an additional concentration of warging blood merging with the Stark line."</p><p>"I see..." Sansa murmured, analyzing the information he was sharing with her. "I suppose that explains it then."</p><p>Then she took a deep breath. "Alright then. I am not sure how far I can tap into this power but, at the end of the day, I am not a warrior so if you could teach me how to warg Lady, that would be a tremendous help in the battle to come."</p><p>Josera chuckled a bit. "Indeed, and if I were to back you up by warging into my huge bear familiar, well, I suppose that could also help hurt enemy morale. Anyway, let's go outside and find your direwolf then. If you want to be ready in time, we have to start soon."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, there you go. I will have the next chapter posted as soon as I can. Until then feel free to let me know what you think. And once more, thanks again for all the continued support. You guys and gals are great! </p><p>Later!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0075"><h2>75. Flights and Rituals</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, like I hinted in the previous author notes, I had to split the chapter in two. Took a bit longer than I wanted to clean up the second half but well, here it is. The next one should be longer since it wouldn't have its plot divided. Alright, hope like you it!</p><p> </p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>King Jon was caressing the neck of his mighty she-dragon atop the island bordering Yara's flagship, as he focused on projecting calm into her mind through their bond. He smiled as she actually gave a loud sigh of contentment and lowed her wings and shoulder in their direction, thereby giving the Greyjoy siblings an open invitation to climb onto the big saddle. The secret god contained a chuckle as he noticed the look of wonder and disbelief on Ironborn but before he could tell them to go on, he heard someone running towards them.</p><p>He turned around and saw Arya staring at him with a determined look on her face.</p><p>"If you want to negotiate with these two so that you can come to a mutually beneficial agreement, I will accept it," His sister acknowledged. "But if you think I am letting you take them on a ride atop your Ice Dragon before me and keep my mouth shut about it, then I am afraid you are sorely mistaken, my King," She added, the last part making her smirk in amusement.</p><p>"Hmm," Jon hummed with a contemplative expression, ignoring the sharp intake of breath from the Greyjoys at the revelations that the dragon was actually one from the icy breed and that he had become a king. "I suppose you have a point there, since I hadn't had the chance to show you around the skies yet. Alright, you can come with us. Just leave your knife behind. Like I told you before, despite everything, I am trying to be diplomatic here.'</p><p>"One step ahead of you, brother," Arya replied as she pointed her thumb to her back, further into the island where the House of Black and White was located.</p><p>The young King followed the motion and saw Bellegere waving at him with a nervous smile, showing the knife Arya was carrying the day before in her other hand. Jon turned back to his sister, pleased that she was at least willing to let him try to make peace with Theon and Yara without sabotaging his efforts due to her anger and desire for retribution.</p><p>"In that case, feel free to do the honors," Jon said with a smile as he pointed at the saddle.</p><p>His brave sibling took in the enormous, magnificent creature and actually hesitated for a moment but soon, resolve filled her gaze and she approached the dragon without pause in her pace. The two of them stared at each other in the process but the huge beast made no move to stop her and after a few moments to climb, her short frame made its way to the saddle, a look of excitement on her face.</p><p>Jon turned back to look at his potential allies and nodded towards the saddle. "Do you want me to climb first or do you want to be next?"</p><p>The Ironborn siblings glanced at each other for long a moment before walking forward without saying anything, their white banner that bears the sigil of House Greyjoy in Yara's hands. After a brief hesitation on their parts, they swallowed and headed up. Before long, on chuckled and made his way there too, taking his place at the front of the saddle with Arya behind him, while Yara stayed behind his sister and Theon behind his'.</p><p>"Alright, brace yourselves and remember to show the flag of truce as clearly as possible," The dragonrider called out, before placing his palm on his mount's neck and connecting with her. "Let's go!"</p><p>And with that, a she-wolf and two krakens took to the skies for the first time, their shouts echoing across the Braavosi canal.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sansa Stark was sitting on a small chair they brought to the Godswood of Ironrath, scratching the head of her direwolf companion as she panted happily with a toothy smile. Nearby, Josera Snow was grabbing a few twigs from one of the weirwood trees, bowing with reverence every time he snapped one of the tiny branches with as much tenderness as he could manage, and offering what she imagined was a prayer under his breath. Behind her was Brianne of Tarth, her sworn sword standing guard but remaining otherwise silent. To the side, Lyanna Mormont was looking at the experienced warg as he gathered the ancient pieces of wood, her hand caressing the shoulders of his white bear familiar absentmindedly as it laid on the ground, partially covered by snow.</p><p>The redhead had grinned slightly at that. It appeared that by this point, the bonded predator had come to like the ruler of Bear Island as well. How much of that was due to Josera's influence, however, she couldn't be sure.</p><p>"<em>Well, not yet at least</em>," She thought to herself. "<em>Maybe that will change in the future if my skills at the warging arts grow</em>."</p><p>Regardless, she was glad that their respective familiars had chosen not to fight each other now that they were near. In fact, Lady was quite calm despite the other beast's presence. Josera had told her that he had trained his bear through their bond so that she could sense other animals that were the active familiars of other wargs and not to attack them as a result unless he commanded it or it started attacking them first. As a result, the predator seemed quite tranquil as he laid there on the clearing. That didn't quite explained why her horse-sized wolf wasn't getting territorial, however. When she had asked, Josera just shrugged and said that by this point, Lady probably respected and loved her too much to get too violent for anything other than hunting and defense without her permission. That had made her look down at the grinning face of her companion as she licked her lips before chuckling and starting to give her a belly rub.</p><p>Eventually, Josera had finished gathering the Weirwood twigs and placed them a few feet from Sansa before trying to start a fire with them and a flint rock. Sansa raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"Alright, are you finally going to tell me what are you doing with those branches?" She asked.</p><p>"Yes, just give me one moment...there," He said in a good mood as the sparks gave way to smoldering flame.</p><p>Josera rearranged the twigs so that they would sustain the flame better and then looked up.</p><p>"From what you have told me, it appears that you have already warged Lady in your dreams at least once," He started. "That's usually how warging starts. However, between your bond with your direwolf appearing to have been at least a bit damaged for a time when you thought she was dead and the fact we don't have much time before our enemies arrive, I thought it would be good to prepare this little ritual I discovered while living in the North Grove."</p><p>"Interesting," She said slowly. "Go on."</p><p>"Well, to cut a long story short," The Forrester bastard said, "I have discovered that smelling the smoke produced by weirwood twigs covered by their blood-red colored sap has...empowering effects on wargs," He explained. "It helps strengthen the bond between a warg and their main familiar, which is especially helpful if the animal got injured and is lashing out in pain. In your case, it would make it easier for you to warg into Lady consciously. And since doing that the first time is always the hardest first step to take because you are not quite sure what to do, instinctively, this little push will be able to help you manage your powers faster the next time around."</p><p>"I see..." She said hesitantly as she analyzed his words. "So, you want me to smell this smoke?"</p><p>"It's not as unpleasant as it sounds," Josera said with a shrug. "The tree sap actually makes the smell more bearable too. But yes. Just inhale it in short breaths for about 30 seconds while staring at your direwolf. Before long, you will be able to feel the connection grow and be able to make the jump almost without thinking."</p><p>Sansa scratched the back of her head in consideration, while Lyanna Mormont stared at her in silence. Then she nodded to herself firmly and stop up to get her chair closer to the new cloud of smoke. She made sure that Lady was in her line of sight so that he could lock her gaze with hers while smelling the gas that came out of the wood from the sacred trees. Her eyes started tearing up uncontrollably after a time and her lungs started complaining to her when she started coughing but she remained where she was, continuing with the ritual.</p><p>Before long, her vision started to blur and she could feel her joints coming alert, as if suddenly infused with energy. But then, she noticed something strange. The smoke no longer bothered her, as if the wind had changed directions but she could smell its strong, choking odor even more strongly than before. Then, her eyes came into focus and she blinked realizing she was seeing her own face...her eyes growing white, with tears flowing around their edges that got a bit red due to the heat.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"It worked!" Sansa wanted to shout but only the sound of barking came out.</p><p>She got up on all fours and felt incredible strength coursing through her, wiggling her tail on instinct.</p><p>"<em>Wait, I have a tail now!</em>" She thought, her mind reeling.</p><p>Soon, she heard Josera chuckled and looked at her with pride in his eyes, while Brianne moved her chair away from the smoke.</p><p>"Well, done my Lady," He said with a respectful bow. "You have taken your first step into a larger world."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Again, this was a bit shorter than originally intended because it was just the second half of the chapter I was going to post earlier but at any rate, I hope you enjoyed it. More detail to come in the very next chapter</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0076"><h2>76. The Benefits of Reek</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone. I have an important announcement to make to go along with the 75th chapter. Here it goes:</p><p>After much thinking and taking into account both the benefit of hindsight and the fact I have developed my plans and outlines a lot more by now than back when I started posting here, I have decided that I am going to be doing a slight rebranding of the story. Now what do I mean by that? Well, for starters, Story Arc 4 has gotten longer than the first 3 story arcs combined. It kind of beat the purpose of the formatting I was aiming for, so I will be dividing it into smaller arcs with their respective names where I find it most appropriate to the flow and to the nature of a particular sequence of chapters.</p><p>Now, you may ask, why is that important? The answer to that is that ever since Story arc 3 ended, I have been plotting the development of several interlude chapters from the perspective of other characters that are not really taking the spotlight along with Jon in his current arcs, like that time I showcased the special mission beyond the Wall from the perspective of the sorcerers from the mysterious Order of the Emerald Weirwood from Skagos. So, since I am going to be dividing this big arc into smaller, more fitting ones, that means new chapters in between those arcs will be coming soon. I will be replying to everyone that makes a comment in this chapter to let them know when those new chapters, placed backward into he chapter index will start to appear, in case you are interested in getting a more direct confirmation. So, feel free to comment here if that's what you want. </p><p>Also, know that if I choose to expand or add scenes to certain chapters now that I have the benefit of hindsight and more ideas, then I will be temporarily adding an asterisk symbol to the end of the chapter so that you can check in the index for additional updates on that front. The first of those I will be working on will be chapter currently placed as the 68th one, titled Schemes from the Depth, which is the last time we saw Euron.</p><p>Anyway, that's about it for now. I will be focusing on this mild rewrite/rebranding and on adding the interlude chapters in between arcs this week. If all goes well, I should have a new chapter set directly after this one that you are about to read at some point point during the weekend.</p><p>Thanks again for all the support guys and gals. Now, with that important announcement out of the way, I hope you enjoy this chapter and the double meaning in the title itself. Have fun!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>After about 10 minutes of slow-flying and a lot of shocked expression at the banner of truce being used, Jon Stark landed his dragon on the island where the House of Black and White was located and began to climb down; helping his sister as he did so, who was grinning with utmost delight.</p><p>"That was INCREDIBLE!" Arya shouted, her voice thrilled. "And I have always wondered what it would be like to fly on top of a dragon too. Thanks a lot, brother!" She added before tackling him with a hug, her short frame jumping in his arms.</p><p>The young King chuckled. "I am glad you enjoyed that. And don't worry, we will have more time to enjoy the skies when we head back to Westeros."</p><p>"Can't wait," She chuckled as she broke away.</p><p>Jon turned to look at the Greyjoy siblings, who were trying not to stumble all the way down of the dragon. Theon in particular looked a little pale and particularly nauseated but after taking a few deep breaths, he looked back at the face of his companion and grinned in wonder.</p><p>"Well, I won't deny that was the most fun I have had in years, and that includes fucking the tits out of that gorgeous woman on Volantis," She admitted. "Now, why don't you start by telling me how did you bring us here?"</p><p>"That's a long story," Jon said slowly, "Maybe we should head to the Iron Bank to discuss it properly?"</p><p>Yara raised an eyebrow at that statement. "So, the highest princes of the Gold Price decided to back you up and make you King? Is that it?"</p><p>Jon shrugged. "They have decided to back me up, yes but my kingship comes from the fact that Robb chose me as his heir in his will. The Red Wedding put those succession plans on hold but the word has spread quite a bit by now."</p><p>Theon's eyes widened at the revelation and his face looked guilty all of the sudden, probably because he reminded him of Robb. He sighed.</p><p>Yara glanced back at her brother for a moment before facing him once more. "That sounds like quite the tale. But I am not leaving my crew's sight until I hear what you have to say. So whether it's long or short, I would prefer to hear your explanations here and now."</p><p>Jon interlocked his fingers for a moment as he stared at Ironborn captain right in the eye, her gaze unflinching. "Fair enough," He ended up replying. "And you seem like a woman that appreciates directness so I suppose I can go straight to the point if you prefer."</p><p>"That would be good," She replied with a curt nod.</p><p>"Well, I brought you here with one of my new magical powers I have been experimenting with, like a Maester would put it," Jon began. "In this case, this one allows me to magically transport all the people and objects I want within a certain distance of a piece of wood that originates from a Weirwood tree, as long as on my end, I am near another piece of Weirwood. The Children of the Forest called the power that affects their collective presence across their ancient trees a weirwood web or something to that effect and it seems I have gained access to their might of old, among other things."</p><p>"Huh," Yara muttered, turning to look at Theon for a moment as he frantically searched in his pockets for the weirwood figurine of the Stark sigil that he now carried before glancing back at him. "If you hadn't pulled me from Slaver Bay waters to Braavos in the blink of an eye I would have thought all that snow must have made you mad. But seeing is believing I guess. How did you pick up these new skills then?"</p><p>"Another long story," Jon went on. "The short version is that a Red Priest of R'hllor used her magic to revive me after getting stabbed to death and ever since I came back, I appear to have gained a much stronger connection to the forces of magic," He told her, stretching the truth somewhat but not actually lying.</p><p>If she noticed he was omitting crucial information, she didn't say anything. However, she did look at him with more than a little disbelief. She was going to open her mouth to reply when she suddenly snapped it shut and looked towards the north in contemplation. Raising an eyebrow, he turned back and noticed that she was staring at the Braavosi Temple of Lord of Light, also located within the Isle of the Gods area of the city.</p><p>"<em>Hmm, she seems to be remembering something important,</em>" Jon thought as he turned back to her. "<em>Perhaps from her past travels across the numerous seas of the known world.</em>"</p><p>"It has been...a long time since I have seen something like that with my own eyes," She ended up saying. "Do you have proof, though?"</p><p>At that, Jon opened his shirt and showed her the scars of all the violent stabs on his chest. She actually gasped in surprise for a brief moment. But then she frowned, tilting her head as if trying to sort out a mystery in her mind. "If what is dead may never die, then what does that make you?"</p><p>Suddenly, Jon's mind went blank at her line of questioning, as the topic brought possibilities to his mind that he has avoided dwelling much on until now. Then he shook his head, remembering the details between the lines that the deity that had empowered him said.</p><p>"Not immortal, if that's what you are asking," He responded in the most neutral tone he could manage.</p><p>Inside, however, he couldn't keep a stray thought from hitting him. "<em>But I could become one if I worded a wish right</em>."</p><p>Jon shook his head slightly as if to clear it, after noticing that Arya had tensed at that line of thought as well, probably wondering what to make of those godly possibilities herself.</p><p>"You sound unsure," Yara asked suspiciously.</p><p>Jon hesitated then sighed. "That's because I am. Some of the things I saw while I was dead were...hard to interpret but they did leave the possibility open that I may come to grow older at a much slower rate than before," He admitted, thinking back to the passive rule of his powers that extended his lifespan a bit every time he has sex with one of his relatives. "But complete immortality? That sounds...much harder to achieve with magic."</p><p>Yara scratched her chin as she analyzed those words narrowing her eyes as she stared at the secret god. But then she nodded. "I suppose that does make more sense, yes. Now, you have told us how you brought us here. Let's focus on the why now. I would have thought you wanted us dead, especially my little brother."</p><p>Theon tensed at that but said nothing, his head hung low as if in a constant state of apology. In the end, Jon thought back to the recommendations Sansa had made to him last night and sighed. "I won't deny the thought did cross my mind. However, my sister convinced me to take a page out of King Jaeherys the Conciliator and at least offer you a chance to redeem yourself for your crimes against the North and in ways that would become convenient for you two."</p><p>Yara frowned at that while Theon's eyes snapped open and he stared at Arya, who was standing beside him, in surprise. Before the King of the North and the Trident could explain himself better, his little sister rolled her eyes. "Don't look at me. I am the one that wanted to see you hang."</p><p>Theon immediately closed his mouth but didn't look the least bit shocked at the response, which actually made Jon grimace a bit. So, he decided to get back to trying to defuse the tension.</p><p>"As Arya has so...delicately put it," he added while giving a mild glare of disapproval to her utterly unashamed face, "you have my other sister, Sansa, to thank for giving me the idea in the first place."</p><p>"And why exactly should we seek redemption for crimes against peoples who are not our own?" Yara demanded as she crossed her arms.</p><p>Jon took a deep breath so that he wouldn't reply with the very first thing that crossed his mind. Instead, he decided to double down on diplomacy, knowing he needed her undivided attention and make his offers before he could get her to accept his conditions.</p><p>"To begin with? Because I am interested in helping you kill your uncle," He said in a nonchalant tone.</p><p>For a long moment, Captain Yara Greyjoy had nothing to say, her face more than a little surprised. But then, her eyes found his Ice Dragon again and she started truly smiling for the first time since they have met. "Do go on, King Jon. Do go on."</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sansa was listening to Josera's voice while she remained in the form of her direwolf, the experienced warg trying to provide some guidance.</p><p>"...am sure that you are experiencing a lot of different things now that your mind is in that powerful body," He said. "Not just the strength but especially the sense. Direwolves have remakably powerful noses, for example.'</p><p>He didn't have to tell her that. The smoke may have no longer been hitting her directly but it felt even stronger than before. And that was just one among a myriad of smells that were assaulting her nostrils, most of which she didn't recognize due to the sheer strength of the aromas.</p><p>"I know it can be overwhelming, especially at first," Josera went on. "So, for now, try to isolate individual smells from among the group. Take your time, breathe in deeply, and focus. This will help."</p><p>The last thing Sansa wanted to do at that moment was to breathe in deeply with her senses disoriented as they were, but he was the veteran there when it came to warging so, she swallowed her hesitation and did as asked several times.</p><p>At first, it felt nauseating. Everything was heightened, to the point that she could smell half a dozen kinds of stench coming from far away. But she repeated his instructions and tried to clear her mind. Eventually, after many repetitions, the new warg started to recognize a few scents. The snow was easy, for one, as were the tree leaves of the Wolfswood. A few minutes later, she started to recognize the smell of people, which was not that pleasant, although in some cases they were not really awful. Before long, she started smelling smoke coming from a different direction, and, based on what she remembered from their location, it could be the flames coming from the blast furnaces from the smithing workshop.</p><p>But then, Sansa caught another smell she recognized, and before she knew it, she had risen on all four paws, her joints clearly tense.</p><p>Blood. And mixed with something else. Something...familiar.</p><p>Josera raised an eyebrow at that and asked her if something was wrong. Instead of getting back to her original body, she sniffed the air with resolve, wracking her movable mind as she tried to remember where she had smelled that particular fragrance before. Then, she gasped as the revelation hit her but it came out as a bark.</p><p>She had smelled that specific, flowery perfume before...back on King's Landing...in Margaery's presence.</p><p>Abruptly, Sansa gave out a roar through Lady's form and raced ahead, in the direction of the blood. She heard Brianne and Josera shouting but her instincts jumped like they had a mind of their own and her powerful legs would not stop running.</p><p>A few minutes later, when she had left the Godswood far behind, she stumbled upon a woman that laid collapsed across the ground of the forest, her hands bound, her face dirty and scratched, and her right shoulder bleeding.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For a moment, Sansa just stood there, her wolf body tensing in shock.</p><p>"<em>That's Mira Forrester!</em>" She thought, stunned. "<em>She was Margaery's only Northener handmaiden. Asher had told me that no one at Ironrath has known what happened to her since she was arrested in King's Landing, at least according to Lord Whitehill's demoralizing speeches during the old siege. What in my brother's name is she doing here?</em>"</p><p>Shaking her big head, she focused on her bond with Lady, heading back to her own body but not before giving her the emotional impression that she was to guard the unconscious lady until she came back with help.</p><p>Before she knew it, she woke up back in the chair, startled.</p><p>She looked around, noticing that Lyanna was entering the Godswood with Asher Forrester in tow, while Brianne and Josera stayed behind with her. Apparently, she had been gone longer than she thought.</p><p>"My Lady! Are you alright?" Her sworn sword asked her with concern.</p><p>"Yes, but..." She turned to look at Asher. "I ran off because I recognized that smell. It was the perfume your sister Mira and the other handmaidens that accompanied Margaery wore...while mixed with blood.</p><p>For a couple of seconds, there was an absolute moment of silence as Asher Forrester stared at her, his eyes wide. But then his gaze hardened with anger and determination. "Where is she?" He asked on the spot.</p><p>Sansa took a deep breath, rising. "All of you, follow me, she can't stay much longer out there in the snow."</p><p>Without preamble, everyone followed her lead, heading to the non-weirwood area of the Ironwood forest. It took them longer to get there on the slower pace their two-legged forms gave them but they walked with purpose, a need for answers in their expressions.</p><p>Eventually, they reached the spot. Lady had moved her to a nearby tree so that the canopy would better protect her from falling snow and then snuggled her with her furry body, clearly trying to make her feel warmer. It seemed to be working because she started groaning by the time they knelt down to see her more closely.</p><p>"Mira," Asher said, longing and concern both deep in his tone. "What happened to you? How did you get here?"</p><p>"A...Asher...is that really you?"</p><p>"It is, sister, it really is," He assured her, gripping her sure-to-be cold hands tightly. "I am back from my exile in Essos and we have defeated the Whitehills. Just come with us back home with us and you will be safe."</p><p>"Not...safe..." She moaned in pain.</p><p>Sansa felt a shiver down her and not from the cold. "Mira, do you remember me?"</p><p>The eldest daughter of the late Lord Gregor Forrester blinked rapidly before her eyes widened. "Lady Sansa?"</p><p>"Yes, it's me," She said in a soft voice. "House Stark and House Forrester have become allies against the Boltons. But what happened to you?"</p><p>The injured woman's hands tighten around her brother's, before she started gasping. "Lord Glover has betrayed us...Euron...was there...they are coming..."</p><p>And with that, she collapsed again, her eyes closing on the spot.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And there you go for now. By the time you read the next chapter directly after that, the rebrand/rewrite should be done, the couple of interludes will be added and the way the story is presented for future readers will be more to my liking. Until then, feel free to share your thoughts down below. And remember, I will be replying to everyone that comments here to let them know when the first interlude chapter gets added further back into the index that this chapter is placed, so if you want to stay on top of this, well, then do go on.</p><p>Thanks for reading everyone. Hope you enjoyed it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0077"><h2>77. Aspirations of Peace</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone. Here is the next chronological chapter on the list. No more interludes until the end of the rebranded Story Arc Six: Pacts of Salt and Snow. That said, know that I rearranged some of the chapter titles and content as you will be able to see in the index. For instance, I rewrote some of the Schemes From the Depths chapter and turned it into an interlude. Not that many additions. I mostly made it Euron centric and moves the Jonsa scenes to the chapter after that, although I did add a few sentences here and there. Regardless, the chapters in the index that have this symbol at the end * will feature additional or edited content compared to before. That means I was adding thing that I consider to be important for later on, even if they are hard to notice right now. So, if you want to read them, you know how to identity them. I will remove the symbol in June though.</p><p>Anyways, I hope you like this chapter. I will try to add a new one before the weekend is over on my end too. </p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>About an hour later, Jon Stark had finished catching Yara and Theon Greyjoy up with recent events in the North, about Euron's intended assassination attempt on him which could not go unanswered, a few details about the immense backing the Iron Bank will now provide him and some of his propositions to them directly. The two of them added a few comments here and there or expressed surprise at various points during the tale but, for the most part, they remained quiet, analyzing his words and probably trying to draw conclusions from his more deliberately vague explanations about certain topics. Eventually, the secret god was mostly finished and the two Ironborn siblings glanced at each other for a long moment before they turned back to him.</p><p>"Well, a lot has certainly happened to you this past month, hasn't it?" Yara commented. "And here I thought we were busy trying to do all we could to sail from the Iron Islands to Slaver's Bay as fast as possible."</p><p>Then she took a deep breath before staring at him firmly. "You want to make my uncle pay for what he tried to do and because you cannot afford to broker such an insult in the eyes of your people now that you are king. I can certainly understand all of that," She said in agreement. "After all, he murdered my father and would have done the same to me if I had stayed since he knew I was his main rival for the Salt Throne. So, I won't pretend that your offer to join forces against that thrice-damned kinslayer is not tempting."</p><p>"However," Yara went on, "You are not just talking about invading the Iron Islands in retribution but of actually conquering them and add them to your growing kingdom. And that would make things...a lot more complicated."</p><p>"I am well aware," The King of the North and the Trident confirmed with a nod. "Why do you think I am trying to sweeten the deal by negotiating with you so that we can sustain our alliance?"</p><p>"And some of your offers are quite generous," The Greyjoy Captain admitted in a begrudged tone as she stared at both him and the banking representatives besides him. "A full pardon, a considerable amount of gold, backed by the Iron Bank, to help rebuild and improve the Iron Islands in unprecedented ways, wood for the construction of more ships, food, and other valuable supplies for the winter, acknowledging me as the ruler of the Iron Islands and Admiral of the Sunset Sea...good thinking on the idea of creating Admiral positions for each separate sea that your domains will cover by the way; that Master of Ships position in King's Landing was too broad and centralized to coordinate the fleets well on short notice," She added, with a look that seemed like respect. "But some of your conditions for all that aid will be...hard for many of my people to swallow."</p><p>"Then let's address your concerns," Jon said as he crossed his arms. "After all, our treaty has not been signed yet."</p><p>"Very well," Yara continued. "To begin with, the fact you expect us to fight for you when you summon the banners, for one. I can see many Ironborn disliking that idea, well, not the fighting as much as the fact it will be the North that will be making those decisions. We did rose in rebellion against the Iron Throne because of disagreements like that, after all."</p><p>"I remember," The King in the North and the Trident replied with a nod. "But believe me, the Army of the Dead is everybody's problem. If we do not rally together at least when it comes to fighting their inevitable invasion, our separate forces will continue to add meat to their army until we can't beat them in the field anymore. So, yes, at least when it comes to joining us in the Great War to come, that is an ultimately mutually beneficial point I do want to stress. Besides, you were trying to gain the support of Daenerys Targaryen before I brought you here," He reminded her. "If she had agreed, do you really think she wouldn't have expected you to come to her aid if asked as restitution for helping you kill Euron?"</p><p>"Not really," She admitted with an outward sigh. "You are still going to have to show me proof of the return of the White Walkers before I agree to sign that treaty later on," The captain pointed out. "But alright, let's leave that aside for now. More importantly, you want us to start shifting our economy from reading and plundering to trading and mining and that will cause friction with the men I would be supposed to keep in line for you."</p><p>"I can imagine," Jon acknowledged. "Which is one of the reasons I would be backing you and your society with gold, silver, and lucrative incentives when possible: I want the Ironborn to see the value in those possibilities and realize that they have the opportunity to gain more with legitimate business than by risking injury or death while trying to steal something from someone."</p><p>"That said...." He continued in a more hesitant tone. "I can understand that such a period of change would be hard to adapt for some, especially bat first. So, with that in mind, I would be open to the possibility of allowing some piracy but only against officially declared enemies of my kingdoms, like ships from the Lannister fleet, for example. Information from my spies and informants would be sent to registered Ironborn sellsails in that case, in case they want to try their look taking the enemy's loot but I would be expecting some very important rules to follow in that case, no raping or taking captured thralls included," He stressed. "We can put those terms in the treaty when we actually begin to set it in writing."</p><p>"Hmph," Yara hummed, considering, "You are right, that would make it easier for my men to swallow your victory terms on that front as they start adjusting. But tell me, do you have any particular interest in making the Ironborn grow weak over time by banning reaving for the most part?"</p><p>Jon took a moment to consider her question, Then he tilted his head in her direction. </p><p>"Not quite," The young king replied with a sincere tone. "As I said, with the Army of the Dead coming, I could use your people's skill and ferocity. However, as King of the North and the Trident, I cannot afford your men to be raiding my coastlines with impunity. Down that path, only retaliation lies and I think we can agree on the fact that you would not be interested in having to deal with another invasion from my realm to the Iron Islands after you are already all set on Pyke."</p><p>"You do have a point there," The Greyjoy Captain acknowledged. "Still..."</p><p>The secret god decided to take that moment to interrupt her. "I am not going to insult you and ask if the first time your father rebelled against the Iron Throne was worth it," He declared. "But since we are on the topic, tell me, what exactly was it that your people really gained from raiding the North while my brother Robb was fighting south?"</p><p>Yara narrowed her eyes at that, sensing the challenge in her tone but struggling to come up with an immediate response. So, he went on. "I mean, you did capture a few keeps in the North, like Deepwood Motte in the Wolfswood and Moat Cailin in the Neck. Hell, you even managed to take over Winterfell, for a time. But was it worth the cost?" The King of the North and the Trident pressed. "What exactly do you have to show for all the effort and lives spent while sacking parts of the North?"</p><p>He noticed that Theon flinched at the line of questioning and Yara glaring at him...before her gaze softened soon enough and letting out a heavy sigh. "I asked myself that question a lot when my father ordered us to raid not-so-wealthy North and again after he died shortly after all our mainland strongholds were lost. And while I never said it publicly, especially because was concerned those words would be seen as soft when I needed to show confidence in the Kingsmoot ceremony...my honest answer is that we mostly gained cobblestones, pinecones, and turnips," She confessed. "This is what we had won so far by fighting the North, losing fathers and sons for these "treasures".</p><p>Jon nodded slowly, glad to see that she had contemplated that line of thought before. Then, he remembered something he had heard while exploring one of the other worlds during his dream-walking expeditions, after wishing to be drawn to the intelligent man of that parallel universe at the time period he was going to land. Feeling inspired, he prepared himself to stretch the truth.</p><p>"You know," The young king began. "I once saw a wise man trying to teach younger people important lessons. He wasn't a Maester but he certainly was a knight of the mind in his own right. And what I remember the most about what he said that night were these intriguing words: doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results is madness," He cited. </p><p>Then he paused when he saw the Greyjoy captain stiffen, probably contemplating those words after her last admission. He allowed her to think for a long moment in silence, before taking a deeper breath. "So, tell me, do you want to move forward, or backward?"</p><p>Yara interlocked her fingers, her expression ponderous. Then she turned back to Theon. </p><p>"Will you support me, little brother?" She asked him in a vague tone</p><p>The former ward glanced at Jon for a moment before meeting his sister's eyes again. "I gave you my word," He reminded. "So yes. I will stand by you, come what may."</p><p>The two of them remained quiet for a while but then, Jon could see the Ironborn leader begin to smile. Before long,  she tilted her head back at him.</p><p>"Well, this is probably a better deal than I  would have gotten from the Dragon Queen anyway," She said with a shrug. "So, very well, I will accept your initial terms of the alliance. I will still need to read all the points of the treaty when its ready before I can agree to sign it but...now I am convinced that we can help each other."</p><p>And with that, she extended her hand to him. Jon took a moment to digest what she said and the symbolism behind her actions, especially since from her perspective, he was the son of the man that was instrumental in winning the war that killed most of her brothers while taking his last one as a hostage. It was definitely a gesture that he could not take for granted.</p><p>And so, he shook on it, nodding at her with respect. </p><p>"Thank you," The king said, hoping his gratitude was transparent in his tone. </p><p>On the side, Theon looked relieved, actually grinning. After all the pain he had suffered these past few years, he had to admit it was a comforting sight.</p><p>"So, what next, King Jon?" Asked Yara.</p><p>"Now," Jon started, "I begin my last discussions the Iron Bank while chaining bags to the saddle of my Ice Dragon. Then I will be heading back to Westeros. I have a murderous sadist to punish and a home to retake. But I will stop on White Harbor on the way so that I can make it abundantly clear that when your fleet arrives at the Northern city, it will be as allies, not as enemies. Just remember to hoist your White Kraken Flag to signal your approach. Then, once I have retaken Winterfell from the Boltons, we can start to plan the downfall of your kinslaying uncle. Sounds good?"</p><p>"Very," Yara responded.</p><p>Theon nodded at that, his expression suddenly determined. "Make sure Ramsay pays for what he has done."</p><p>"Oh, I assure you that he will," Jon replied as he hardened his gaze. "And you know what? Perhaps, before he loses his head, I could take inspiration from his father's words at the Red Wedding and tell him that the Greyjoys send their regards. What do you think?"</p><p>The Ironborn man actually smirked a bit, probably imaging the scene with his mind. "I would like that. Thank you, Jon. For everything. It's good to be on the same side again. And once more...I am sorry."</p><p>Jon approached him so that he could get a closer look at his eyes.</p><p>"It is not my place to forgive you for all you have done," The King stressed. "But...for what I can forgive, I do," He added in a firm, yet soft tone. "Let's work hard to make the future a better place."</p><p>And with that, he offered him his own hand, which Theon took soon after, his expression grateful in ways he had seldom seen.</p><p>"Safe travels," He added and then turned around, to say the rest of his goodbyes to his new friends from Braavos. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, there it is for now. Hope you enjoyed it. I will try to update the next chapter at some point on Sunday on my time zone. Depending on how much or little I get interrupted that could go well. Until then, feel free to leave your thoughts down below. As you know, that is usually a good method to keep me motivated when it comes to writing.</p><p>Later!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0078"><h2>78. Of Battle Bonds and Gifts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello there. Took a bit longer than I wanted to finish the chapter but here it is now. I hope you have fun with it.</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>About an hour later, after they had returned to the castle with the unconscious Mira Forrester, Sansa Stark looked as most of the former handmaiden's remaining family members were pacing outside the room where she was being treated. Lyanna Mormont and Princess Val were also silent for the most part, watching them discuss the disturbing possibilities that the eldest sister of Lord Rodrik had muttered before collapsing on the snow.</p><p>"Are you truly sure that she said Lord Glover has betrayed us?" The Lord of Ironrath asked again.</p><p>Asher glared at the wall in front of him. "I am sure, brother. And let me tell you, if I cross paths with him on the battlefield, he will have more reason to fear me than Ramsay Bolton!" He vowed. "Not interfering at all in the war between us, his bannermen, and the Whitehill forces was bad enough, especially when the year-long siege disrupted the Wolfswood region so much. But actively marching against us now? After we have uncovered King Robb's will, our forces have grown, and also gained the supports of giants, not to mention an actual dragon? Oh, my blade will taste that traitor's entrails if I have anything to say about it!"</p><p>"Get in line, brother," Josera Snow said with narrow eyes. "If I find him first on my Snow Bear familiar, worrying about iron weapons will be the last of his concerns."</p><p>"Come on now," Lyanna said as she raised a hand. "There will be enough traitor's blood for everyone in the coming battle. And you can always work together to slay him as well."</p><p>"Indeed," The experienced warg said, before turning back to his older brother. "I will stand by your side, be it in two or four legs, and we will face him together; if you'll have me."</p><p>Asher nodded firmly, his fist clenched as it laid beside his sheathed blade. "But of course! Together will show the ruler of Deepwood Motte that Ironrath is not to be underestimated. And while we are at it, teach him a whole new meaning to our House's motto."</p><p>Josera smirked at that, his expression fierce. "Iron from Ice!"</p><p>"Iron from Ice!" The rest of the Forresters present, including Josera's bastard twin sister, echoed on instinct.</p><p>Sansa couldn't help but smile at their unity. "And the North Remembers. This is why I assure you that, one way or another, this betrayal by Lord Glover will not stand. And House Stark will be backing you every step of the way."</p><p>"However," The Lady of Winterfell in Exile continued, "I think it may be best to hear what Mira discovered before jumping to conclusions. She also did say that Euron was there. And I can only think of one notorious man with that name, close enough to Deepwood Motte, with enough resources and soldiers to cause chaos."</p><p>Lyanna nodded, her face angered. "Euron Fucking Greyjoy. The new King of the Iron Islands. His fleet raided Bear Island once before and later on, we got reports from the villagers that he raped no less than 6 virgins that one time, before slitting their throats," She added in disgust. "And now he means to move against the North too, like his brother before him? Oh, how I would love to drive a dagger through his eye."</p><p>Sansa looked at the little Lady with the heart of a warrior and saw the outrage in her bones but then she was distracted by Princess Val's look of determination when she heard that, her blonde locks moving gracefully as she titled her head; getting closer to her ally so that she could look her in the eye more easily.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"That's the spirit, my Lady. And if he actually decides to arrive at the battlefield and fight against us, I will be happy to help you accomplish your goal, if you want," She proposed. "Sounds like an enemy I would be happy to geld."</p><p>Lady Mormont actually chuckled a bit at that. "With an offer like that from a great warrior such as yourself, how can I refuse?"</p><p>Sansa watched as the Princess of the Free Folk and the Ruler of Bear Island shook hands, and her own grin joined theirs. Before long, however, a thought came to her, based on what they had discussed.</p><p>"<em>Hmm, from what I have heard of the infamous brother of the late King Balon in the past, he sounded like the kind of man that would despise his nephew, Theon, just for the fact that that monster, Ramsay, cut his balls while he was his helpless prisoner</em>," She thought. "<em>In fact, he probably mocked him for that before Yara and he had to flee the Iron Islands after the Kingsmoot</em>."</p><p>With that realization fresh in her mind, she had to admit that the thought of that murderous, pillaging rapist that managed to become a king getting gelded was the kind of poetic justice that made her smirk slightly.</p><p>Her darker thoughts were interrupted, however, when Maester Ortengryn opened the door and showed himself.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"I have treated her injuries and the frostbite on her shoulder that got exposed to the snow the longest," He announced. "All things considered, they were fairly minor wounds, scratches mostly. Her biggest problem was exhaustion and hunger. That's what made her lose consciousness," The Maester explained. "She will need a proper night's rest soon and some softer foods but now that she is awake, she insists on speaking to you all. It seems she has important information to share."</p><p>There was a moment of silence at that, and some glances were exchanged but before long, they all moved to enter the room.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jon Stark was tying his satchels to the saddle of his Ice Dragon to the metallic chains he was using. Some got bent in the fight with the group of Faceless men, so the Iron Bank provided freshly forged replacements of the highest quality the smiths could handle on short notice. They also added an extra chain to tie to the front of the saddle that he could pull in different directions, presumably use to better indicate his mighty she-dragon where and when to turn. Technically, Jon was reasonably confident that he could direct him most of the time through their emotional and mental bond that has grown stronger due to his own powers but he supposed it wouldn't hurt to have that option when he needed to react fast under pressure. After all, he almost couldn't control her when she got rattled by the colossal size of the Titan of Braavos.</p><p>While he was wrapping up with that, he was continuing his conversation with Tycho Nestoris.</p><p>"...in agreement then?" Jon asked.</p><p>"Yes," The high-ranking banker replied. "The Iron Bank will send a representative to White Harbor with the treaty fully drafted for you to inspect in a fortnight's time. He will also have the authority to make some minor amendments to the written contents of the deal if there is something you would prefer to alter. Once that's done, one way or another, the representative will be delivering the first shipment of gold for you to gain. I imagine you would have managed to take care of the Bolton rebels by then?"</p><p>"That will be more than enough time at this point, I assure you," Jon replied.</p><p>"In that case, there is only one more thing to take care of," The Braavosi said while gesturing at a young servant to approach.</p><p>He did and carried a white chest with them, before opening it in front of him. Inside, was the red dragon egg Arya had gotten her hands on before their fight with the Jaqen's group of skilled assassins, now standing on a blanket within the coffer.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The young king raised an eyebrow and Nestoris shrugged. "The Faceless Men brought it to us while you were unconscious and explained the situation, claiming they couldn't take it as payment because your sister interfered with the contract before they decided to release her from her duties to their order," He explained. "At first we weren't quite sure what to do with it, since it used to be in the possession of an infamous and dangerous pirate who has now become king. But since you have now informed us of your plans to conquer the Iron Islands, and we have established an alliance with you, it seemed more appropriate to give it to you. I suppose you could consider it a preemptive spoil of war or something."</p><p>"I suppose that's one way of looking at it," Jon commented before grabbing the egg with his hands and looking at it up close. "Hmm, it looks a bit worn by time. I imagine it is one of those eggs that failed to hatch."</p><p>"That was our thought as well," The banker said in agreement. "I would say its chances of hatching would be close to zero but...well, the Dragon Queen somehow managed to stir her own eggs to life and you have performed feats of magic that have left us all quite impressed, to say nothing of the fact you are dragonrider now so, I believe it might not be wise to bet against you, your Grace."</p><p>Jon was silent for a moment as he analyzed those words, his mind contemplating the possibilities.</p><p>"<em>I should be able to hatch it with my powers if I word it well enough</em>," He thought. "<em>I may have to be specific enough to establish a mental and emotional bond with the rider I would intend to give this egg to, however, especially if my chosen candidate doesn't have known blood ties to House Targaryen in them</em>."</p><p>Outwardly, though, he just thanked the servant of the Iron Bank for the potentially game-changing gift and turned around to face his own winged mount. Then, he placed the valuable dragon egg on a pouch that he tied with its knots as well as he physically could, before carefully adding it to the pile of things he wanted to chain to the saddle to keep it from falling off during the coming flight. While he was doing that though, he spotted Bellegere Otherys beside his sister, and the memory that she was actually the blood of the dragons resurfaced in his mind.</p><p>"<em>Huh</em>," Jon murmured without his voice as sudden ideas crossed his head. "<em>Something to consider, I suppose</em>."</p><p>Once he was done, influential Braavosi approached him. "Then, with this, it seems our current order of business is concluded," Tycho replied with a light smile as he extended his hand. "It has been a pleasure to facilitate this alliance, King Jon. And most educational as well."</p><p>"Likewise, my friend," The secret god responded with a nod, his tone grateful. "I hope our paths cross again."</p><p>"I wish the same. Oh, and just so you know, Shallan Ravad should be arriving to this island shortly since I sent for her a while ago," He stated. "Remember that she wanted to talk to you before you left.</p><p>"Understood," Jon replied. "Take care of yourself."</p><p>And with that, the high-ranking banker left his fine cloak flowing with the wind. Jaqen and Arya stared at each other for a moment longer but the Faceless Man had nothing to add. So, he just nodded at the two of them and headed to the House of Black and White.</p><p>After that, Jon took a deep breath and turned back to look at Bellegere. "Do you want to stop anywhere before we leave? I am sure that being asked to leave the city you have known your whole life must not be easy, even with prophetic demands."</p><p>The Black Pearl of Braavos looked less nervous at the thought than before but she still seemed slightly uneasy. "Well, we don't have to stop back home. I already sold it last night and the Iron Bank was gracious enough to store most of the valuables I couldn't bring to Westeros with me. So, with my account in order, I think it will be best if I travel light for now, so I will just carry my bag of gold and silver and a few personal objects I want to keep close. Although..." She hesitated for a moment then looked up, "if you could make a stop on your dragon atop the Titan, I would love that. I always wanted to see the city from there."</p><p>Jon gave his Ice Dragon a look, trying to convey the word "behave" while pointing at the colossal fortress-statue. His mighty familiar snorted, blowing a freezing chill from its nostrils but bowed her head to him in response. The young king chuckled.</p><p>"Very well then," He said. "I hope you enjoy the view."</p><p>She actually grinned at that, delight in her gaze. "Something tells me that I will. Thank you for that."</p><p>At that moment, Arya cleared her throat. "Bellegere?" She called out.</p><p>The exotic beauty turned to her. "Yes?" She asked, tilting her head.</p><p>"I...am sorry," She muttered, her gaze down. "I know I said I was going to miss you but I wasn't expecting my presence in your room at that time to suddenly put you on a path that would uproot your life. Don't get me wrong, it will be great to have you in the North with us, at least for a time but I know from experience that being forced to leave the place you call home due to forces outside your control is not fun."</p><p>The Black Pearl of Braavos stared at her for a moment but then she sighed. "I appreciate the sentiment. But don't worry about that too much, Arya. The Scrolls of the Prophecy of Liberation practically described me to the letter. Even without your presence in my bed, by the time your brother arrived on that Ice Dragon, it was only a matter of time before the priestesshood connected the dots."</p><p>Then she smiled softly. "Besides, while I am sure it will take some adjustment to adapt to life in the North, it will be good to know someone there that I like. So, I hope we can find some time for you to show me around your favorite places back home."</p><p>His sister grinned at that. "Of course! I will be happy to do some exploring with you. I might need a new sword before we set out though, now that that bitch ruined Needle, though."</p><p>Jon's eyes widened at that. "Oh, that reminds me, I have a gift for you."</p><p>"Oh, really?" Arya asked as her grin expanded. "The last time you gave me a gift, you were leaving for the Wall and you wanted something for me to remember you by. Now that you are free from your vows and have become a king, what is the occasion?"</p><p>He chuckled at his sister's comment. "Well, I am so glad that we are back together after all these years and that we are coming back home to Winterfell very soon. And besides, as you say, I have become a king now but I still lack heirs of my body. So, tell me, by legal necessity, what does that make you as my little sister?"</p><p>She frowned for a moment at that question before it hit her right between the eyes.</p><p>"Wait," She gasped. "I am princess now?!"</p><p>Jon cracked up at her expression, his roar of laughter resonating loudly. "Heh, you should see the look on your face!" He ended up saying with a wide smile. "But don't worry too much. I know that if being a proper Lady is not what you want for yourself then being a princess like the ones from the stories would suit you even less. And besides, Sansa is technically older than you so if worst comes to worst, she is closer to the line of succession than you and as you know, she is better suited for the traditional side of role."</p><p>Then he got more serious when she crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow. "So, given your preferences, your combat experience, and the threats the North faces, I believe you may be a lot more interested in becoming a warrior princess and helping our realm that way. And as it happens, I believe I have the perfect gift to help you with that."</p><p>And with that, Jon opened one of the bags and removed one of the three Valyrian Steel swords in his possession from its hilt.</p><p>
  
</p><p>Arya's jaw dropped to the ground in no time.</p><p>"That's...that's..that's..." She broke off, her eyes as wide as twin full moon.</p><p>"That's <em>Dark Sister</em>," Jon confirmed with a lot of satisfaction in his tone. "It was given to me while I was beyond the Wall by an old friend of the previous Targaryen owner. Long story for now," He added when he saw her reaction to that bit of information. "But yes, the Valyrian Steel blade, made for more slender female hands, that first gained great renown by your childhood heroine, Visenya Targaryen, the legendary dragonrider and sister-wife of Aegon the Conqueror is now yours. I will expect you to train with that since Needle required a different style of swordsmanship but, well, what do you think?"</p><p>As a response, Arya sheathed the blade immediately and wasted no time in jumping towards him, hugging him for all she was worth.</p><p>"THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!" She chanted at the top of her lungs, sounding more excited than he could ever remember her being.</p><p>The thought made him smile. It was great to have his sister back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, we finally got some payoff from Jon gaining Dark Sister exactly 60 chapters ago, eh? Heh, thanks for reading and for the continued support, everyone. It does wonders for my creativity and speeds up my will to write. </p><p>More on the revelations Mira Forrester will provide in the next chapter. Until next time!</p>
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<a name="section0079"><h2>79. Wandering Outcomes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello there. I was originally going to add two more scenes to the chapter but I was having too much fun with all the interactions so between that and making sure my non GOT Telltale readers would understand all of the context and explanations I had glossed over or omitted until now, I ended up making those scenes longer than I originally envisioned, at 13 pages of content. So, in the interest of giving you something to enjoy tonight since I will be busy tomorrow, I am moving the initially planned second half to the next chapter. Hope you like this one!</p><p>Read, enjoy, and review!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Mira Forrester stared ahead, her smile beginning to grow. She seemed so relieved to see at all the people that had come to see her, especially most of her relatives.</p><p>"<em>And there are two in attendance she probably isn't even aware of yet</em>," Sansa thought to herself, wondering how she will react to the existence of her bastard siblings.</p><p>Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of joyful laughter as Talia embraced her older sister and they teared up over their emotional reunion after so long. Eventually, they broke off and the little sister looked at her with bittersweet eyes.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"It is so good to see you again, Mira!" The youngest Forrester woman said, sniffing. "We feared the worst after Ludd bragged about your imprisonment in King's Landing. But...I am afraid I must tell you..."</p><p>Mira placed the palms of her hands on Talia's and sighed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"I know," The eldest of the female Forrester said in a sorrowful tone. "Ramsay Bolton killed our brother, Ethan, when he was acting as Lord while Rodrik was still presumed dead. I did manage to get letters to King's Landing for a time," She remarked, her eyes watered. "Talia I...am so sorry that I wasn't here for you, sister. Losing a brother is horrible enough, and believe me, I cried myself to sleep when I heard the news but losing a twin through such a senseless murder? And as close as you two were?" She shook her head. "I should have been here," Mira repeated as her grief flowed from the open wound the reunion was drawing from her.</p><p>"Well, you are here now," Talia replied as she gripped her hands tightly. "Between your return and recent events improving our fortune for the first time in well over a year, things seem to be looking up."</p><p>Mira sighed. "Don't count your blessings yet; I have grim news to share. But first," She added as she turned to look at Rodrik, her lips curling upwards slightly. "I am glad to see Elaena here as well. Does that mean I missed the wedding?" She asked with a shinier gaze, probably trying to lighten the situation. "To be honest, my mother did ask me if I could use my influence as Lady Margaery's handmaiden to write to your father and convince him that House Forrester was still a strong and resourceful House despite the losses at the Red Wedding, once we heard that he was thinking about breaking the betrothal but I couldn't manage at the time," She admitted. "Good to see it wasn't needed, though I hope you don't take offense."</p><p>Sansa watched as the heir to House Glenmore chuckled and smiled at her.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"None taken. Those were some uncertain and dark months, after all," She acknowledged. "I am afraid you did miss the wedding. But on the bright side, that means you won't have to wait that long to meet your new nephew."</p><p>Mira's gaped at that, before turning to Rodrik, who seemed quite happy at that precise moment. "You have a child now?! I am an aunt?!"</p><p>"Yes, and yes," The Lord of Ironrath replied with a grin as she looked at his sister. "A healthy boy, born a few days ago. We named him Arthur, after Elaena's late brother."</p><p>Mira's delighted face shifted in alarm. "Wait, Arthur is dead?! What happened?"</p><p>The Lady of Winterfell in exile remained silent as she watched as the sister-in-law sighed deeply, though her own jaw clenched as she remembered the story with growing anger. "Ramsay Bolton flayed him alive after he helped us push back the Whitehill garrison, before the siege actually began. Yet another reason to see that murderous sadist dead."</p><p>No one in the room disagreed with her, while Mira winced. "I am so sorry, Elaena. I only meet him once, on the very ball where your betrothal to Rodrik was announced before the War of the Five Kings began, but it was clear to me that he cared about you a great deal."</p><p>"Thank you," She said simply, her eyes looking down.</p><p>Suddenly, Mira's eyes widened as she looked around the room, her expression abruptly fearful.</p><p>"Wait where are Ryon and mother? Why aren't they here?"</p><p>Sansa sighed at her next expression, once she saw the faces of her siblings. "Ryon is safe and sound now, don't worry," Rodrik ended up saying. "After the forces gathered by Lady Stark and King Jon helped us shatter the siege, we managed to rescue our youngest brother from Lord Ludd, before I personally took off his head for his crimes against our House," The Lord of Ironrath said firmly. "We just didn't tell him yet that you were here because...well, at first we weren't sure if your injuries and exposure were going to be fatal and we didn't want to get his hopes up until Maester Ortengryn had a chance to examine you."</p><p>Then his expression saddened. "But our mother died during the siege, falling to a particularly strong fever while we were rationing."</p><p>Mira buried her face in her hands after that remark, starting to sob. Her surviving trueborn siblings already present went over to comfort her, having their first big family hug in several years, especially since Asher was exiled to Essos when he was 17, so the eldest Forrester woman hadn't seen him in over half a decade.</p><p>The redhead glanced at Josera and Elsera Snow, who had chosen not to move since they hadn't been introduced yet. Their faces were full of sympathy, however. After a couple of minutes, Mira had calmed down enough to regain her voice.</p><p>"Did she suffered?" She asked, her voice small.</p><p>"Not near the end," Her eldest brother responded softly. "Our loyal Maester made sure of that."</p><p>She was quiet for a long moment after that, her thoughts reeling. Still, she turned to look at Maester Ortengryn at the edge of the room and gave him a sad smile to go with a nod, which he answered back in turn.</p><p>"Anything else I should know before I get started with my tale?" She asked, sounding exhausted.</p><p>Rodrik, Asher, and Talia exchanged looks for a moment, before getting the right idea and inhaling deeply. And so, they approached their half-siblings, took their hands, and got them closer to the bed she was sitting on. Mira tilted her head, confused as she stared at their unfamiliar faces.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Mira, these are our half brother and sister, Josera and Elsera Snow," Rodrik announced, his hand on Elsera's shoulder while standing straight. "They were the ones that convinced King Jon and Lady Sansa's forces to come to our aid when they did so, their assistance was invaluable in breaking the siege. These twins are welcomed here and, I believe I can speak for Asher and Talia as well when I say we have been getting along," He added with a grin, as glances were exchanged between the siblings.</p><p>For a long, long moment, Mira Forrester said absolutely nothing, her eyes simply widened at the revelation. But then, she shook her head as if to clear it and opened her lips.</p><p>Sansa raised an eyebrow at the very first thing that came out of her mouth, however.</p><p>"Are either of you practitioners of blood magic?" She blurted out.</p><p>The siblings looked at each other in surprise, then Elsera tilted her head in Mira's direction. "As I matter of fact, I am," She replied with a frown. "How did you know that one of us would be?"</p><p>"Because...that would explain some of the things Euron Greyjoy said to me while I was a prisoner at Deepwood Motte," Mira replied, in a bewildered tone, before showing them the palm of her left hand and noticed it was cut recently. "He told me he had somehow foreseen that he would come to need Forrester blood for a magical ritual and that while mine would not be as ideal as the one from, and I quoting him here, "the powerful Forrester half, from crimson and blood-soaked snow" it would still serve him well."</p><p>Sansa interlocked her fingers during the heavy moment of silence that followed, her eyes narrowed as she pondered the possibility of the new King of the Iron Islands also gaining access to visions after the prophetic quake her beloved brother told her about that occurred due to his ascension.</p><p>"Hmph," The redhead muttered. "If that was a prophetic verse to be taken metaphorically, it does sound like Elsera," She recognized, "with the half referring to her being a twin, the Snow talking about her bastardy, and the blood referring to her powers."</p><p>"But why?" Asher asked, his tone outraged. "Why would he want the blood of my sisters?"</p><p>"To know that, I believe we need more information," Lady Lyanna commented. "So, why don't you start at the beginning, Lady Mira, and tell us what you learned?"</p><p>The woman in question took a deep breath and nodded. "Well, I suppose it started nearly a week ago when, after strong winds made our vessel wander off-course,  Euron Greyjoy attacked the ship I was on with my..."dear" husband, Lord Morgryn," She spat out in disgust. "Only good thing to come out of that was that Euron slashed his belly where he stood as soon as he boarded our ship. But then...he said he had plans for me, like if he had assaulted the ship solely because he knew I was aboard."</p><p>"And so," Mira said as she kept going, "he took me to his flagship, the<em> Silence</em>, made an offhand comment about apologizing for the lack of mutes that gave the ship its infamous name; apparently, he had sent them on a mission earlier. When I asked where we were going, he looked at me with...penetrating eyes, like he could see right through me. Maybe he could," The former handmaiden muttered. "Regardless, I repeated the question and then he laughed like if he was the only one on his ship that understood the full extent of a joke."</p><p>She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts, having gained the undivided attention of everyone in the room. Then she inhaled sharply.</p><p>"Why, to your home at Ironrath, of course!" he told me with a shit-eating grin." The eldest female Forrester cited, "But first, we are stopping at Deepwood Motte. I have business with Lord Glover and that I am sure you will find...educational."</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>King Jon was grinning, amused as he looked at his younger sister slashing at the air with her new Valyrian Steel blade. Her speed and stance were not bad, although her movements still resembled the form of the rapier that was Needle a lot more.</p><p>"<em>I will have to ask Brianne of Tarth to help train her so that she can adapt her technique</em>," He thought to himself. "<em>Still, her bladework is quite decent for her size, all things considered, and since</em> <em>Dark Sister</em> <em>is made of Valyrian steel</em>, <em>it is far lighter than an ordinary sword. Between that and the fact the handle was actually designed for female warriors, I am sure she could become a very skilled fighter with the ancestral blade of House Targaryen before long</em>,"</p><p>That last line of thought made him frown, however, a new thought crossed his mind. "<em>The Dragon Queen probably won't like the fact that I gave one of her family's swords to my sister</em>," He considered silently while scratching his chin. "<em>Oh well, I will cross that bridge when I get to it</em>."</p><p>Suddenly, Arya stopped her movements mid-swing and gaped, staring at something behind Jon. He raised an eyebrow and turned back, and noticed that Shallan Ravad had finally arrived.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She was wearing a white and light strapless dress that didn't reach her neck, covered in embroidery that depicted different phases of the moon, along with a necklace shaped like a full moon itself. She was smiling widely, but it didn't take Jon long to figure she wasn't smiling at him.</p><p>"I was hoping I would get the chance to see you all one last time before you left," She said in a pleased mood. "Especially you, Bellegere, since we hadn't really had a chance to talk since my priestesses informed you of your role in the Prophecy of Liberation. My deepest apologies for that; I have been busy treating the injured from my congregation and attending important meetings with representatives from the Iron Bank."</p><p>Arya's eyes widen even further. "Wait! She is the High Priestess of the Moonsingers?!"</p><p>Besides her, Bellegere sighed heavily and passed a hand through her face. The priestess just chuckled.</p><p>"That would be me," She confirmed. "I would chastise you for spying if you were a member of my congregation but since you are the cherished sister of one of my religion's most valued champions, I suppose I will let it slide. Besides, who am I to interfere with the beginning of something beautiful?" The Moonsinger asked in an almost philosophical tone as her gaze shifted between the two of them.</p><p>Jon raised an eyebrow. "Is anyone going to tell me what is going on here? And how do you know each other?"</p><p>Abruptly, Arya started blushing, looking mortified, which wasn't much like her. "Well...errr...I know of her because...ummm..."</p><p>Bellegere rubbed her forehead with her fingers before taking over the conversation. "The day your sister realized she was attracted to me, I was with a client, Shallan here, to be precise. And she...saw me pleasuring her at the time she walked in unannounced. I didn't realize she was there until after I had finished her off and send the High Priestess here on her way. I assumed you listen to our conversation from the other side of the door while you were dressing?"</p><p>Shallan just shrugged and nodded and Arya Stark suddenly got very interested in her feet, her face flushed in embarrassment. Jon took a deep breath to quell the mental image that immediately came to mind, which was not that easy since he had already seen Bellegere's alluring body naked so he also robbed his forehead in a show of frustration.</p><p>"<em>This is what I get for talking to Sansa about possible threesomes when she told me she was fine with it the last time we fucked</em>," He thought. "<em>Alright, keep it together</em>."</p><p>"Well, that sounds quite rude if so. Is there anything you would like to say in your defense, Arya, or should I assume everything they said was completely true?" He pressed.</p><p>Arya opened her mouth for a moment, only to close it again, unsure of what to say. Then Bellegere started smirking as she shifted her gaze between the two of them.</p><p>"Well, she also fingered herself to climax while she was watching us, if that helps," The Black Pearl of Braavos added in a helpful tone. "It was flattering really, that she found us so mesmerizing."</p><p>"Bellegere!" Arya gasped.</p><p>The exotic beauty chuckled. "I am sorry, I shouldn't have done that. It's just that, well, I have noticed you look even more radiant when you are blushing and from what I have seen and heard, that tends to be hard to accomplish. Besides, you heard Shallan, she is not truly complaining."</p><p>"What she said," The Moonsinger replied, her eyes shining with amusement.</p><p>His sister glanced back and forth between the two women before crossing her arms and headed closer to the dragon, sulking.</p><p>"Oh, please don't be like that," Bellegere called out, her tone growing a bit concerned. "Alright, I will make it up to you soon. Deal?"</p><p>Arya looked up at the Black Pearl's eyes for a moment before giving her a small smile. "Promise?"</p><p>"Of course," She said with a confident voice, placing her own hands around hers. "My word is my bond."</p><p>And so they grew quiet, comforted by each other's presence. Jon watched the whole exchanged in silence, his gaze surely giving off a ponderous image to anyone looking. Before long, Shallan found herself standing beside him.</p><p>"For what it's worth, I think they make a sweet couple," She whispered. "But then again, I am a romantic at heart so make of that what you will."</p><p>Jon turned to look at her. "You may be right. But it is too early to tell and a lot of changes will come to both of their lives in the days to come. I guess we will see."</p><p>"I guess we will." The Moonsinger replied in agreement.</p><p>A pause permeated the space around them, then Jon raised an eyebrow as a thought crossed his mind.</p><p>"I imagine that, in your faith, going to a brothel as a High Priestess is not that frown upon compared to some other religions?" He ventured.</p><p>Shallan chuckled at that. "Not exactly. As I have told you before, most high priestesses are chosen among the members of the bloodlines that produced some of the magical talents sacred to the Moonsingers. But they are rare and sometimes skip generations. As a result, our priestesshood is also expected to be fruitful and multiply, even when it comes to bastards. In fact, it is considered a dereliction of duty if you are born with the spark of magic in your blood and still refuse to have children."</p><p>"However," She went on, "during your time as a High Priestess you are expected to focus on your commitments across that 10 year period if you hadn't given birth yet. Since that's the case for me and for many others in our past, we debated the issue long ago and concluded that there was nothing in our scriptures that forbade the act of quelling our fiery urges in ways that do not conceive a child," The Braavosi explained. "And since the High Priestesses of the Moonsingers are all female, that in turn opened the way for the acceptance of sex between women, among our people. So, yes, as long as I do not bear a child during my years of service, I am allowed to visit brothels every now and then, as long as I focus my attention only on the pleasures of the female flesh," She added, a fond look on her eyes.</p><p>"Huh," Jon muttered after a while, "that seems more flexible than what you would usually see in Westeros amongst the orders and priesthoods that vow not to have children. Can't say I can fault the logic in your case, though."</p><p>She laughed merrily. "I am pleased to hear that."</p><p>Then, she took a deeper breath and her gaze turned serious all of a sudden.</p><p>"I know you have to leave soon," Shallan said. "And it's fine, because I know we will see each other again. However, I couldn't let you leave before sharing an important family secret with you."</p><p>The young king raised an eyebrow at that. "Very well," He ended up saying. "What do you have to tell me?"</p><p>"It would be better if I start by showing you," She remarked. "You see that seagull over there?"</p><p>Jon turned and saw the bird she was pointing at, standing atop one of the walls at the edges of the Canal of Heroes.</p><p>"Yes," Jon responded slowly. "What of it?"</p><p>"Don't take your eyes off it," Was all she said.</p><p>At first, nothing happened. But a few seconds later, it started flying towards him, before taking a turn. The secret god followed it with his gaze until it perched itself above the shoulder of the High Priestess. It was only then that he noticed the pure white look on her eyes.</p><p>Jon's own gaze widened. He had seen that look before. Before he could find his voice, her look returned to normal and the bird flew away.</p><p>"You are skinchanger," The king finally said, his tone of voice noting additional interest.</p><p>She smiled, her teeth showing. "The only one on Braavos, as far as I know. I believe that magical talent entered my bloodline when my great-great-grandfather wandered to Braavos from across the Narrow Sea to work for a while with the Second Sons mercenary company. He ended up siring a bastard with an ancestress of mine. And now, here we are."</p><p>Jon titled his head as he frowned; something about that story sounding strangely familiar. Then he looked at her face more closely, as thoughts swirled in his head.</p><p>"Wait a minute," He muttered. "Some of your features...they look very similar to those commonly found on women from the North."</p><p>Her smile widened at that. Then the King of the North and the Trident gasped, as he quickly started to calculate the years from her tale. "Did you said your Northener ancestor came to fight for a time alongside the Second Sons?" He asked, his eyes ever wider. "Are you talking about who I think you are talking about?"</p><p>As a response, Shallan finally opened the pouch she had been carrying in her hands and showed him a large wooden pendant. It looked old and worn; easily a century old. But what caught his attention most was that it was carved in the shape of a direwolf, precisely to the likeness of the sigil of House Stark. And when she turned it around, he could see words engraved in it. His heart started pounding harder with every word.</p><p>"<em>May you be free from the coming Winter. With love, Rodrik</em>," He read aloud.</p><p>Jon was silent for a long moment, during which point, Arya had finally gotten closer as her interest in our conversation increased. But eventually, he found his voice while looking at her in the High Priestess in the eyes.</p><p>"You descend from Rodrik Stark, the Wandering Wolf," He stated with conviction.</p><p>Arya gaped at that comment, before turning to stare at the smiling Moonsinger. She looked so happy.</p><p>"I do," Shallan confirmed, her eyes sparkling. "And I must say, it is good to finally get to know an actual Stark."</p><p>Then she extended her hand to him. "I am so blessed to have met you, my dear cousin."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, yeah, that happened :D</p><p>To be clear, Rodrik Stark, the Wandering Wolf, is an actual historical Stark, and since he wasn't expected to inherit the Lordship because he was the 5th born son, he ended up adventuring a lot more, his exploits taking him all the way to Essos to join the Second Sons before returning home to marry and settle down like it was still expected of him. As a result, he was the only historical Stark from the recent enough past that I could think of that would end up having a child in Essos, which would result in spreading his warg genes, among other things. </p><p>So yes, that was important for part of the backstory I developed for this OC of mine, Shallan Ravad. More on that later. But know, however, that while I do have plans for Shallan and her connection to Braavos and the Moonsingers, having her join the harem anytime soon is not one of them. Jon will end up prioritizing other candidates on that front and like Shallan said, she can't really have kids until she finishes her last few years of service. </p><p>And yes, in case you didn't notice before, the porn actress I picked for Shallan was the woman Bellegere was pleasuring when Arya stumbled upon them in the act. So, when I picked another image for her during her meeting chapters with Jon, that was actually her likeness showing up again in a recurring role, just as a named character this time around.</p><p>Anyway, thanks for reading everyone. Hope you enjoyed it. Leave a comment down below if that was the case and until next time guys, see ya!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope found this intriguing. Can't say I have found a similar plotline myself anywhere else. Regardless, there will be more chapters posted throughout the day. And as I said, more comments = more chapters posted faster. The more detailed the better. So, have you know what to do if you are curious for more XD</p><p>And for the readers that liked it, trust me, there will be a lot to come in the next 40 chapters. And the 40 chapters after that :D As I said, I have plenty of story arcs planned on my outlines. </p><p>Thanks for reading everyone. Until next time.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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